Starting Aug. 3, you’ll finally be able to purchase vanity items for Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds. New outfits are inspired by the original mod’s namesake and inspiration, Japanese film Battle Royale. Proceeds will contribute to the prize pool for that game’s first ever invitational, in-person tournament.
Previously the only way to get vanity gear in Battlegrounds was to purchase random loot crates with in-game currency, called Battle Points, earned from kills and wins. A vibrant secondary market has sprung up on Steam, with rare items like coats and bandanas going for hundreds of dollars. The ability to purchase gear directly from Bluehole is sure to free some pent-up demand.
The online survival game, which is still in early access, will give players the chance to spend Battle Points on two new loot crates, called the Wanderer Crate and the Survivor Crate. Each will include a chance to earn new, Battle Royale-themed items on top of the usual collection of dirty shirts and gas masks. Both will be free to open.
A third new crate, called the Gamescom Invitational Crate, will require a key that has to be purchased for $2.50.
“The third crate,” Bluehole wrote in a post on Steam, “will have the most diverse pool of themed clothing. ... Once Gamescom is complete, on August 27th, the Gamescom Invitational Crate will be no longer available and removed from the game. We will then return to the free-to-open system. The Gamescom Invitational Crate, Wanderer Crate and Survivor Crate will be tradeable on the Steam Community Market going forward. Keys for a Gamescom Invitational Crate purchased on the Steam Community Market will still be available to purchase in-game.”
For the tournament, Battleground’s developers have partnered with the ESL to bring 80 high-performing players and personalities together at Gamescom in Germany. They’ll compete in four different modes, including Solo, Duo, Duo FPP (First-Person Perspective) mode and Squad mode across the four-day event. Proceeds from item sales will contribute to the $350,000 prize pool, as well as charities selected by Bluehole.
The first ever Gamescom PUBG Invitational kicks off Aug. 23 and will be broadcast on the game’s official Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, Mixer and Twitter channels.