PUBG: DED.NET Announced at Gamescom: Multiplayer Roguelite Shooter by Krafton

At Gamescom Opening Night Live, Krafton pulled a sharp pivot from what players expect from PUBG—announcing PUBG: DED.NET, a new multiplayer shooter that swaps the usual battle royale setup for a roguelite-style structure built around progression between raids.

Not a battle royale: multiplayer FPS meets roguelite progression

Rather than dropping dozens of players onto an island, DED.NET is presented as a more colorful, chaotic multiplayer FPS experience with a key twist: it uses roguelite progression between matches. The game aims to let players carry forward what they earn and unlock across multiple incursions, shaping how they adapt and approach future runs.

• PUBG: DED.NET is a multiplayer shooter that does not follow the classic battle royale formula.
• The core differentiator is roguelite progression between games, where rewards and unlocks from earlier raids influence later play.
• Krafton has not yet detailed how this system will specifically affect moment-to-moment gameplay.

A loud, 1990s grunge world called Cascadia

The game’s presentation leans hard into attitude. Set in Cascadia, a fictional region in the U.S. Pacific Northwest during the 1990s, DED.NET delivers a grunge, industrial-era vibe paired with an irreverent visual style.

The reveal trailer leaned into the era’s tone, showing characters moving in playful, absurd ways—such as sliding across the ground “like penguins”—alongside over-the-top weapon visuals like grenade launchers covered in graffiti. Locations shown in the pitch include Cryptid Cove and Cult Church, reinforcing the game’s strange, off-kilter atmosphere.

• Cascadia is the setting, placed in the U.S. Pacific Northwest during the 1990s.
• The reveal emphasizes a grunge, industrial aesthetic and a deliberately unserious tone.
• Featured locations include Cryptid Cove and Cult Church.
• The game’s tagline centers on the idea that “death is only the beginning.”

How it fits Krafton’s broader PUBG universe plans

DED.NET also ties into Krafton’s stated direction for the PUBG brand: building a larger universe that can support multiple games and genres beyond the battle royale that made it famous. In that context, a roguelite-leaning multiplayer shooter is positioned as an attempt to reach players outside the typical PUBG audience.

Krafton’s Gamescom presence includes multiple projects already announced previously, and the company has described having dozens of games in development. DED.NET is framed as the latest addition to that expanding portfolio, illustrating how major publishers are diversifying away from relying on a single title type.

• Krafton wants PUBG to function as an expandable universe spanning different game genres.
• DED.NET is presented as a diversification move aimed at a different audience than the traditional battle royale crowd.
• Krafton has dozens of games in development, with other previously announced projects also shown at Gamescom.

Closed beta sign-ups are open; launch date not announced

At the time of the announcement, detailed gameplay specifics and a release window were not provided. However, Krafton opened closed beta sign-ups through the game’s official website, with registration using a Krafton account.

• No release date has been announced yet.
• Players can sign up for the closed beta via the game’s official site.
• Closed beta registration requires a Krafton account.

For now, PUBG: DED.NET has already succeeded at the hardest part of a busy showcase: getting attention by taking a brand name players associate with one format and pitching a very different multiplayer roguelite direction.