PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS
SQUADS UP WITH XSOLLA STORE TO
DRIVE EARLY ACCESS PRE-ORDERS

When PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) entered early access beta in spring of 2017, they wanted more pre-order options for players looking to lock and load.

PUBG had already capitalized on massive worldwide interest through distribution on mainstream platforms – setting off the global battle-royale craze that continues to dominate the industry – but those platforms didn’t deliver enough for pre-orders. And for safety and security, PUBG’s pre-order payments partner would need top-shelf fraud protection.

Seoul-based PUBG Corporation – genre-redefining game developer and trendsetter.

PUBG Corporation’s parent company Bluehole deftly recruited eventual creative director Brendan Greene (ironically, known by his online handle “PlayerUnknown”) to drive the development of a “king of the hill”-style mod-turned-title with randomized items and environments, drawing story inspiration from the book series The Hunger Games and the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale. It has since become a massive global success.

Previously, Bluehole developed fantasy-themed MMORPG TERA, originally released in South Korea in 2011 before expanding to North America and EU in 2012, and again to a worldwide audience via the PS4 and Xbox One consoles in 2018.

By integrating with Xsolla, PUBG was able to offer multiple pre-order packages to an even larger global footprint — and it only took 5-10 minutes to complete.

A single day of coordination work with Xsolla’s integration and account managers gave PUBG a far broader reach, one that went beyond mainstream digital distribution platforms to include unbanked and underserved players around the world, plus: