KRAFTON launched the first closed alpha for PUBG: Black Budget on Dec. 12, 2025, and the test is running across two December weekends with the current window active Dec. 12 – 14. The alpha gives players an early look at the island of Coli, the game’s anomaly system, and the hideout progression that follows each extraction.
PUBG: Black Budget combines extraction-shooter tropes with a more arcade-oriented pace. Matches use a time-loop framing where each raid plays out on the same island but with different conditions, encouraging repeated runs to secure loot and complete objectives before extraction. The anomaly mechanic actively eats portions of the map as a match progresses, which pushes players toward changing extraction points and makes late-game movement more urgent.
The game gives players control over where they drop in and lets them place markers and navigate a dynamic map during the raid. Movement and traversal include ziplines, vaulting, and clambering, and weapon play favors straightforward ballistics over simulation-grade detail. That accessibility is paired with quality-of-life touches such as proximity looting and simplified healing, which shorten downtime between fights and keep pacing brisk.
Extraction points are dynamic and tend to appear more often in the closing minutes of a raid, incentivizing players to linger for higher-value rewards. The looting loop is plentiful and encourages attention to inventory and health management without the steep entry curve found in some other extraction titles. When a run ends, players return to a hideout that can be expanded and customized, including the placement of benches and upgrades. The map is very large, and the anomaly can eliminate entire sections early in a run, which shortens available routes and forces adaptation. The test build included wildlife but no AI combatants beyond that, so PvP remains the primary threat in the current alpha.
KRAFTON’s two-weekend test is listed in the closed alpha schedule and should give the studio more data on combat pacing, extraction behavior, and hideout systems ahead of broader tests or launch.
PUBG: Black Budget
Developed by PUBG Corp
