How a photographer's experiment became a global phenomenon that redefined the battle royale genre

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Inspired by a Japanese film and military simulations, Brendan Greene created a game that transformed the shooter landscape. By dropping one hundred players onto a shrinking map, he pioneered a high-stakes survival format. Today, this title stands as a massive cultural force, having sold over 75 million copies worldwide.

The origins of PUBG: Battlegrounds trace back to Brendan Greene, an Irish photographer and designer living in Brazil. Disenchanted with the repetitive nature of standard first-person shooters, Greene sought to create a more unpredictable experience. He began by developing mods for ARMA 2 and ARMA 3, eventually catching the attention of South Korean publisher Bluehole. In 2016, Greene moved to South Korea to serve as creative director, leading a team of developers to build a standalone title that blended the realistic simulation of military games with the accessibility of arcade-style shooters.

The game's core mechanic centers on a battle royale format where up to one hundred players parachute onto an island, scavenging for weapons and gear. To force encounters, a shimmering blue wall constricts the playable area over time, steadily pushing survivors into a final, intense confrontation. This design, which Greene considers the final iteration of his vision, relies on procedural item distribution and vast, non-memorizable maps to ensure that no two rounds are identical. Matches typically conclude within 30 minutes, ending with the iconic phrase, "winner winner chicken dinner."

Since its full release in 2017, the game has undergone significant evolution, transitioning to a free-to-play model in 2022. It has faced challenges, including technical bugs and widespread cheating—with BattlEye software banning over 13 million players by October 2018. Despite these hurdles, the game has achieved monumental success, accumulating $13 billion in revenue by Q3 2022. It remains a platform for community innovation, with developers actively supporting custom game modes and modding, ensuring the title continues to serve as a foundation for future player-driven experiences.

The game's development was marked by rapid growth and a unique collaboration between Western creative vision and Korean publishing infrastructure. While Greene stepped down as lead designer in 2019 to pursue other projects, the game continues under the management of PUBG Studios. Its influence is undeniable, having popularized an entire genre and setting seven Guinness World Records, cementing its status as one of the most significant video games in history.

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