A series of programs have been announced by PUBG Corp., allowing for easier ways for esports teams to manage finances, compete in tournaments, and ultimately make money. These money managing methods include offering support for travel expenses, event management, and creating in-game items which feed directly back to the teams.
Unique in-game DLC will be created for the major PUBG tournaments of 2019, which include the NPL (National PUBG league) and the PEL (PUBG Europe league). This has been a trend in esports-focused titles in recent years, with Gears of War 4, Call of duty WW2, and Rainbow Six: Siege offering similar schemes. PUBG offers to support them by giving 25% of the cost directly back to the teams involved, giving fans an opportunity to support their favourite players.
PUBG Corp. is hoping that these changes will help draw new players in, and keep existing teams in the fold. "We are nothing without our teams and players, so it's critical that we develop these programs to support our competitive scene and help teams build their brands," said Richard Kwon, CMO of PUBG Corp.
It will be interesting to see if these changes can bolster PUBG's esports presence going forward. Its main competitor Fortnite has thrived on YouTube, and offers a Support-A-Creator option which works similarly to the esports DLC proposed for PUBG. However, as an esport, Fortnite has struggled to take off with massive issues in last year's tournaments, leading to questions regarding its future events.
Will this initiative help PUBG become the go-to battle-royale game for esports?