Krafton has initiated live server verification for its next-generation console lineup, expanding the survival DNA of its global mega-hit IP ‘PUBG: Battlegrounds’. PUBG Studios’ new multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) game, ‘PUBG DED.NET‘, has commenced its first closed beta test (CBT) targeting North American users, kicking off its launch build-up.
This test runs across current-generation console platforms, including PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X|S, starting from noon on the 9th through the 12th, Central Time (CT). Following the worldwide debut of its official trailer at Europe’s largest game show, ‘Gamescom 2026’, last August, this marks the first opportunity for general users to directly experience the in-game client. Through this North American CBT session, Krafton plans to verify the stability of the real-time matchmaking system and precisely inspect technical performance metrics across various devices under large-scale connection environments.
‘PUBG DED.NET’ is a hybrid shooter that inherits PUBG’s unique gunplay mechanics while combining a lighthearted play sensibility for enjoying with friends and a Roguelite progression system. Designed primarily for the console market with a Free-to-Play structure, the game sets its main battlefield in ‘Cascadia’, a fictional territory in 1996 inspired by the scenery of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Players must develop their characters within a unique ‘run’ system where multiple matches are connected, and tune squad tactics in real-time according to changing combat metrics to secure their survival.
Participation in this test was restricted to North American users aged 17 and older who hold PlayStation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live accounts. Test build access permissions were sequentially issued to final selected applicants from the waiting list accumulated through the official website system, and selected users can directly invite acquaintances to their squads to play cooperative tactical matches.
Additionally, players who joined the test can exchange direct real-time Q&A and qualitative data with the development team via in-game feedback survey structures and the official discord channel.
A Krafton representative stated, “We plan to meticulously analyze the tactical data sets accumulated through this first global CBT and the feedback from the North American core user base to finally refine the quality of the official live service build,” adding, “Once initial metric verification in the North American market is concluded, we plan to sequentially expand the test target regions to the entire global market.”
