KRAFTON Reinvents PUBG With a Horror-Tinted Multiplayer FPS Where Death Makes Your Next Run Stronger

The game is set in a fictional version of Cascadia in 1996, drawing heavily from the Pacific Northwest of the 1990s. Its world combines grunge culture, body horror, the occult and brutal survival mechanics.

But the biggest change is how death works.

In a conventional multiplayer shooter, losing a match usually means starting again from zero.

DED.NET wants to make every failure useful.

Players can collect resources, gain abilities and develop their builds during runs. When a run ends, progression can carry forward into future attempts.

That makes DED.NET one of the strangest and most ambitious new directions for the PUBG franchise.

What Is PUBG: DED.NET?

PUBG: DED.NET is a new multiplayer FPS from PUBG Studios and KRAFTON.

While the game retains PUBG's focus on survival and competition, it is not simply another traditional battle royale.

Instead, DED.NET combines FPS combat with run-based roguelite progression.

The official game description says players will move through 1990s Cascadia while treating injuries, earning abilities and developing their preferred combat style.

The result is a structure where individual matches contribute toward a larger progression loop.

A failed run therefore doesn't necessarily mean losing everything.

The player can learn, improve and return with a different build.

A Completely Different PUBG Setting

DED.NET's setting may be one of its biggest departures from traditional PUBG.

The game takes place in 1996 Cascadia, a fictional region inspired by the Pacific Northwest of the United States during the 1990s.

That gives the developers a very different visual and thematic direction.

Instead of the modern military environments associated with PUBG: Battlegrounds, DED.NET embraces:

  • Grunge culture
  • 1990s aesthetics
  • Occult imagery
  • Body horror
  • Strange creatures
  • Rural and industrial environments
  • Dark survival themes

The official website describes the game as a place where players can encounter disturbing imagery and unusual locations, including the mysterious Cryptid Cove.

This makes DED.NET feel closer to a dark survival thriller than a conventional military shooter.

Death Is Supposed to Be Part of the Progression

The game's tagline says it clearly:

Death is only the beginning.

That philosophy is built directly into the gameplay.

DED.NET uses a roguelite structure in which players can develop their character through repeated runs.

A failed match is therefore not necessarily wasted time.

Instead, players can retain progression and use what they learned to build a stronger approach for the next attempt.

This creates an interesting risk-and-reward system.

Players may have to decide whether they should continue pushing deeper into a dangerous run or leave with what they have already collected.

Going further could produce better rewards.

But it could also put the entire run at greater risk.

Players Can Build Their Own Combat Style

DED.NET is also designed around player choice.

The game features numerous abilities that can be combined to create different approaches to combat.

Rather than forcing every player into the same weapon and equipment setup, the roguelite system allows players to experiment with builds.

One player could potentially build around aggressive combat.

Another could focus on survival.

Others may prefer abilities that improve mobility, recovery or tactical options.

This system could give DED.NET considerably more replayability than a traditional multiplayer shooter.

Every new run becomes another opportunity to test a different combination.

Unusual Survival Mechanics Set DED.NET Apart

KRAFTON is not limiting the game to conventional shooting mechanics.

The official descriptions highlight several unusual tactical options.

Players can reportedly use car doors as riot shields, play dead and even hack payphones to steal money from rivals.

There is also a particularly brutal survival mechanic involving enemies.

Players can recover health by cannibalizing enemies.

That immediately communicates the darker tone DED.NET is targeting.

These systems are designed to encourage players to think beyond simply finding a powerful weapon and shooting everything in sight.

The environment itself can become part of a player's survival strategy.

Injuries Can Change the Way a Run Develops

The game's survival mechanics also include injuries.

Rather than treating health as a simple number that disappears when players take damage, DED.NET introduces injuries that can affect the course of a run.

Players need to manage those injuries while deciding whether to continue or retreat.

That creates another layer of risk.

A player who has already accumulated serious injuries may have to decide whether the potential reward is worth the danger of continuing.

This structure fits naturally with the game's roguelite philosophy.

Every run becomes a series of decisions rather than simply a race toward the final kill.

Cascadia Is More Than a Backdrop

The fictional Cascadia setting is central to DED.NET's identity.

The developers are using the Pacific Northwest-inspired region to create an atmosphere that feels different from the conventional PUBG universe.

The official site currently highlights locations such as Cryptid Cove, reinforcing the game's strange combination of survival horror and 1990s culture.

That could allow PUBG Studios to experiment with environments and enemy designs that would feel out of place in PUBG: Battlegrounds.

The result is a world where military combat is mixed with supernatural and horror-inspired elements.

DED.NET Is Not PUBG 2

One important point is that DED.NET should not be viewed as a direct replacement for PUBG: Battlegrounds.

KRAFTON is treating it as a new interpretation of the PUBG franchise.

The company describes the project as expanding PUBG's core survival and competition experience into a different gameplay structure.

That means DED.NET can experiment with systems that would fundamentally change the traditional battle-royale formula.

Instead of dropping into one match, collecting equipment and trying to become the last player standing, DED.NET is built around repeated runs and long-term progression.

That difference could be the game's biggest selling point.

The Game Supports Large Multiplayer Battles

DED.NET is still fundamentally a multiplayer FPS.

The PlayStation listing currently identifies support for 60 online players, while confirming a PS5 version.

That means the game can still deliver the large-scale competition associated with PUBG.

However, the roguelite progression changes the context around those encounters.

Players aren't simply fighting for a single match victory.

They are also trying to improve their long-term progression and develop a stronger build.

This creates the possibility of a very different multiplayer experience.

PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S Versions Are Planned

KRAFTON has announced DED.NET for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The Steam listing currently has the release date marked as to be announced.

The PlayStation Store also lists the game for PS5 without a confirmed launch date.

Therefore, players should not expect a specific release day yet.

KRAFTON is still developing the project and has not announced when the final version will launch.

Closed Beta Registration Is Already Open

Players interested in trying the new PUBG experience don't necessarily have to wait for the full release.

The official DED.NET website is already accepting registrations for a closed beta waiting list.

Players can register using a KRAFTON account.

The developer has not yet announced a final public release date, so the closed beta will be an important opportunity for PUBG Studios to collect feedback before launch.

This is particularly relevant for DED.NET because its roguelite progression system could require significant balancing.

The developers will need to make sure persistent progression doesn't create unfair advantages between experienced and new players.

The Biggest Challenge Will Be Balance

DED.NET's most interesting feature could also be its biggest design challenge.

Persistent progression can make multiplayer games exciting, but it can also create balance problems.

If experienced players become dramatically stronger after repeated successful runs, newcomers could struggle to compete.

The developers will therefore need to carefully balance:

  • Ability progression
  • Run rewards
  • Player skill
  • Equipment
  • Injury mechanics
  • Matchmaking
  • Long-term progression

The goal will be to make progression feel meaningful without turning every match into an unavoidable advantage for veteran players.

So far, KRAFTON has not revealed the complete details of its matchmaking and progression balancing systems.

A Darker Direction for PUBG

PUBG has already grown far beyond its original battle-royale concept.

But DED.NET represents one of the most unusual expansions yet.

The game takes recognizable PUBG ideas such as survival, competition and scavenging and combines them with:

Roguelite progression + FPS combat + horror + 1990s culture.

That combination could attract players who have never been interested in traditional battle royale games.

It could also give existing PUBG fans a completely different way to interact with the franchise.

Why PUBG: DED.NET Matters

KRAFTON's decision to experiment with PUBG is strategically important.

Instead of relying entirely on one battle-royale experience, the company is using the PUBG name to explore new genres.

DED.NET could become an example of how a successful multiplayer franchise can expand without simply creating another version of the same game.

If the roguelite system works, it could also create a gameplay loop with much greater long-term experimentation.

Players won't just ask:

"Can I win this match?"

They will also ask:

"How much further can I push this run?"


That is a very different question.

Confirmed Information

KRAFTON and PUBG Studios have confirmed:

  • PUBG: DED.NET is a new multiplayer FPS.
  • It is part of the PUBG franchise.
  • The game uses roguelite progression.
  • Progression can carry across runs.
  • It is set in fictional 1996 Cascadia.
  • Cascadia is inspired by the Pacific Northwest of the 1990s.
  • The game features grunge, body-horror and occult-inspired themes.
  • Players can customize their approach through abilities.
  • The game features unusual survival mechanics.
  • Players can use car doors as shields.
  • Players can play dead.
  • Players can hack payphones.
  • Injuries are part of the gameplay system.
  • A closed beta registration is available.
  • PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are planned.
  • The release date has not yet been announced.

Rumors and Speculation

The final release date remains unknown.

KRAFTON has not announced the full roster of weapons, abilities or maps.

The exact structure of the closed beta has also not been fully detailed.

Claims about a specific launch date, final player count beyond currently listed platform information, or unannounced modes should therefore be treated as speculation.

What Happens Next?

The immediate milestone is the closed beta.

PUBG Studios can use beta feedback to test whether the roguelite progression system works fairly in a competitive multiplayer environment.

More information about the game's maps, abilities, progression and launch plans is likely to emerge as development continues.

For now, DED.NET remains one of the more unusual new multiplayer projects revealed during Gamescom 2026.

Conclusion

PUBG: DED.NET is not another conventional PUBG battle royale.

KRAFTON is using the franchise to experiment with a darker multiplayer FPS built around roguelite progression, persistent development and a strange 1990s Pacific Northwest setting.

The combination of gunplay, horror-inspired environments, injuries, abilities and repeated runs gives DED.NET a distinct identity.

Its biggest challenge will be balancing progression so that veteran players can feel rewarded without making new players feel permanently disadvantaged.

The game is currently planned for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, while its release date remains unannounced. A closed beta registration is already available through the official website.

If PUBG Studios successfully delivers on its unusual concept, DED.NET could become much more than a PUBG spin-off.

It could be the beginning of a completely different multiplayer branch for the franchise.