Krafton is putting real money behind community creativity. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has opened a $95,000 USD prize pool for modders to build original game modes that will feed directly into its new in-game hub, PUBG: Playgrounds.
Announced August 4, 2026, the PUBG x CurseForge UGC Contest invites creators worldwide to submit playable modes across three categories: Combat, Survival, and Creative. Submissions open August 12 and close September 2. Thirty winning modes are planned for official addition to Playgrounds, giving them in-game visibility for all players.
Each category carries a $25,000 pool. First place earns $10,000, second $5,000, third $3,000, and places 4 through 10 receive $1,000 each. Ten mid-contest awards of $500 go to strong early entries around August 23. Six Community Favorites, chosen by public vote September 6–9, each take $2,500. Winners are scheduled for announcement September 14.
Creation requires a BATTLEGROUNDS PLUS subscription and a CurseForge author account. Modes must use official PUBG UGC tools, stay original, and follow the game’s mod policy. Judging weighs fun factor and completeness most heavily, with originality and community metrics also counted. Unlimited entries are allowed if each is meaningfully different. Participation is PC-only for creation.
PUBG’s own announcement states:
“The Battlegrounds have always been shaped by you, and now it’s time to build them.”
Director Taehyun Kim expanded on the intent:
“Since the Early Access days, PUBG has always been shaped by our players… With PUBG: Playgrounds, the community can take that creativity one step further by building their own modes and experiences directly.”
Uri Marchand, CEO and co-founder of Overwolf (CurseForge’s parent), added:
“The creator community in games continuously proves that the best ideas come from the players who are most passionate about the gameplay experience. Partnering with KRAFTON to bring that creativity directly into PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS… is exactly what CurseForge was built for.”
Some coverage has framed the contest as “paying modders $95,000 to design and build the game’s next update themselves.” The cash and integration are real and confirmed on pubg.com and CurseForge terms. The winning modes will populate the new Playgrounds hub rather than replace core battle-royale development or serve as a single traditional patch.
The move aligns PUBG with established creator ecosystems in Fortnite Creative, Roblox, and Minecraft, where player-made content drives long-term engagement. Playgrounds is designed as a curated discovery space inside the Play menu. No major controversy has surfaced around the announcement itself; standard questions about content moderation, IP ownership, and judging fairness remain typical for any UGC program and are not unique flashpoints here.
This contest signals a clear strategic shift. Live-service games increasingly treat skilled community creators as partners, offering both financial incentives and official platform real estate. For PUBG, the $95,000 pool and Playgrounds featuring are the first concrete steps toward making player-built modes a lasting part of the experience.
