Krafton shuts down PUBG spin-off Black Budget nine months after closed alpha test
Krafton has cancelled PUBG: Black Budget, an extraction shooter spin-off that was nine months into its closed alpha testing phase. Black Budget differentiated itself from traditional battle royales by focusing on team extraction gameplay—where the goal was for entire teams to survive and escape the match, rather than compete until only one player or team remained. The game featured a time loop mechanic and held several community and alpha test periods throughout its development.
In a statement posted to Steam, Krafton cited the game’s development trajectory as the reason for cancellation, stating that “its current direction would not allow us to deliver an experience players could enjoy over the long term.” Despite the shutdown, the studio indicated that the development process had yielded valuable lessons that would inform future PUBG projects. The cancellation marks the end of the spin-off concept before it could reach wider release beyond its testing phase.