Confirming earlier rumors, PUBG: Battlegrounds is about to go free to play in just a few hours. The Battle Royale game that broke countless records since its late 2017 will be playable for free on PC and consoles whenever the servers go live again after the maintenance that's now underway.

　　The goal is, obviously, to expand the community even further and therefore reduce the matchmaking time. Of course, the free to play transition also comes with some caveats.

　　Free to play users have access to a limited set of features and modes. To unlock the rest, they have to make a one-time purchase of BATTLEGROUNDS Plus, currently priced at $12.99.

　　BATTLEGROUNDS Plus unlocks access to the following:Survival Mastery XP +100% boostCareer – Medal tabRanked ModeCreating Custom MatchesBATTLEGROUNDS Plus includes the following items:Captain’s Camo HatCaptain’s Camo MaskCaptain’s Camo GlovesBonus 1300 G-COINThose who previously purchased the game will have their accounts automatically upgraded to BATTLEGROUNDS Plus. Additionally, they'll get extra following rewards such as:

　　Costume skin setBattle-hardened Legacy CorsetBattle-hardened Legacy JacketBattle-hardened Legacy GlovesBattle-hardened Legacy PantsBattle-hardened Legacy BootsShackle and Shanks Legacy – PanNameplate – Battle-hardened LegacyThese items will be available under the Customize – Utility tab.

　　KRAFTON also shared details on PUBG: Battlegrounds update 15.2. The developers are introducing an entirely new set of items called tactical gear. This gear will take up a primary weapon slot, so players will have to think carefully before equipping them. Examples include a drone to scout afar without having to engage in direct combat and EMT gear that improves healing potential for the player's team. Last but not least, the Action Queue feature lets players queue up a certain action by pressing and holding the corresponding button whenever another action is taking place. For example, if you hold the firing key while reloading, the gun fires immediately after the reload action ends.

　　The next map, codenamed Kiki, is planned to be added in mid-2022 to PUBG: Battlegrounds.