Krafton just dropped the most unhinged thing PUBG has ever done — and nobody saw it coming. At Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, PUBG Studios revealed PUBG: DED.NET, a session-based roguelite FPS set in a bizarre 1990s version of Cascadia. You can sign up for the Closed Beta right now.
DED.NET: What Is This Thing, Actually?
Here’s the part that broke the internet: DED stands for “Dog Eat Dog” — as confirmed by creative director Dave Curd himself. The game trades PUBG’s slow, tactical battle royale pacing for something Curd calls “faster, meaner, and more aggressive.” And that’s not even the wild part.
Set in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s, PUBG: DED.NET drops you into a “strange and unpredictable world” full of locations with names like Cryptid Cove, Cascadian Wilderness, Summit, Cult Church, and Ward. “Dead-eyed fiberglass cryptids” stalk the maps, confirming this is a PvPvE experience — you’re fighting players and whatever those things are.
Roguelite Runs, Sword Hands, and “Light Cannibalism”
Every run in DED.NET is different. The game promises 70+ abilities and mutations that change how you fight across a multi-match journey. Round-based progression means each drop builds on the last — what you scavenge in the world changes your character, and “Death is Only the Beginning.”
Want proof this game is unhinged? Consider the blade hands: you can trade away your ability to use guns — and even your ability to drive cars — for absolutely devastating melee power. Or go the trickster route: hack payphones, play dead, and maybe indulge in what Curd jokingly calls “a little bit of light cannibalism.” Every run, you’re basically building a different monster.
Why Not Just a PUBG Mode?
Curd says DED.NET deserved its own game because of pace and persistence. The map is smaller, denser, and more intense. Movement is more athletic, player behavior is more aggressive. “If I’m a PUBG fan booting this up for the first time,” he says, “it’s going to be faster, meaner, and more aggressive than I’m used to.”
It’s also a huge moment for the franchise overall: PUBG: Battlegrounds remains one of Steam’s most-played games, and Krafton just announced PUBG Mobile Light at the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2026 last week. The PUBG universe is suddenly expanding in a lot of weird, exciting directions.
How to Get Into the DED.NET Closed Beta
Closed Beta sign-ups are open right now at ded.net. You’ll need a Krafton Player Account to pre-register. A release date hasn’t been announced yet, but the beta will give us our first real taste of this strange new world.
Big Week for Gamers
DED.NET isn’t the only thing on the calendar. State of Play September 2026 announcements packed the month with huge reveals, and we also rounded up everything we can expect from this week’s Nintendo Direct if you’re planning your watch list. The rest of September is shaping up to be chaos — in the best way.
What do you think?
Are you hyped for PUBG: DED.NET, or is this too weird even for you? Would you trade your guns for sword hands? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
