Battle royale goes grunge: there's a new PUBG game and it's set in the '90s

No one is safe from '90s nostalgia, not even battle royale. A new PUBG game was announced today at Gamescom, and it's gone grunge, according to publisher Krafton.

Maybe more interestingly, PUBG: Ded.net is also a roguelite, with progression across runs. Take a peek at the announcement trailer below, set to Ministry's "Jesus Built My Hotrod" (though that's industrial, not grunge) and then come back for some more details.

"PUBG: DED.NET is a new multiplayer FPS that combines shooter gameplay with roguelite progression across runs, giving players new ways to experiment, adapt and build their own approach in the strange and unpredictable world of 1990’s Cascadia," says publisher Krafton.

Does that mean its a blend of battle royale and extraction? It sort of sounds that way: "A match lost is never a run wasted. Every drop of blood writes the next chapter—what you scavenge in the world changes you, and that changes how you fight," Krafton says.

"Mix and match dozens of abilities to build your own custom approach to combat. Use car doors as riot shields, cannibalize enemies for health, play dead, or hack payphones to steal money from rivals."

As you might expect, the Steam page also has an AI disclosure, though it's vague: "Our team uses AI tools to help develop some in-game content."

Closed beta test registration is now open if you want to be one of the first players to dive in.