Ahead of release, PUBG Studios has run several testing phases for PUBG: Black Budget to gather feedback from creators and the community on key gameplay elements. These tests have been held on PC and have been used to refine the game's systems and performance. The game's release date remains to be announced.
First Closed Alpha Test
The first Closed Alpha Test was announced alongside the game's reveal in November 2025 and ran in December 2025. It took place exclusively on PC and consisted of two public test sessions across two weeks: the first from December 12 to December 14, and the second from December 19 to December 21. The test was available to players in North America, Europe, and Asia, with support for English, Korean, Russian, and Chinese.
This test was run without a non-disclosure agreement, so participants were free to stream, capture, and share their gameplay throughout the period. Players could sign up for access on the game's store page, and additional access keys were distributed through streaming platform drops. The first alpha was played in first-person only mode and focused on early-game systems, combat pacing, extraction balance, and player progression.
Session | Dates | Region Coverage |
|---|---|---|
Closed Alpha, Week 1 | December 12 to 14, 2025 | North America, Europe, Asia |
Closed Alpha, Week 2 | December 19 to 21, 2025 | North America, Europe, Asia |
After the alpha concluded, the developers reported strong interest and participation, and noted that feedback helped them assess the game's atmosphere, visuals, and overall system design. Feedback also highlighted areas to improve, including combat perception, situational clarity, and fatigue during repeated runs. Security and anti-cheat measures were strengthened during the test in response to reports of unauthorized programs.
Closed Community Test
In April 2026, a smaller, invite-only Closed Community Test was held for players in the European region across April 22, 23, and 24, with daily play windows in the evening. This test was a community-driven development phase aimed at experienced extraction shooter players and previous test participants, used to verify new features in development and collect structured feedback rather than to offer open play.
Second Closed Alpha Test
On May 8, 2026, PUBG Studios announced a second Closed Alpha Test and opened applications. On June 12, 2026, the studio confirmed the test schedule: it ran from June 26 at 17:00 to June 29 at 17:00 (UTC+9). The test covered players in East Asia, Europe, and North America on PC, and it added Turkish to the supported languages alongside English, Korean, Chinese, and Russian. Like the first alpha, it ran without an NDA, so participants were free to stream, record, and share gameplay. Accepted players could invite up to two friends through the platform, and an account had to have been in a player's friends list for at least 30 days to receive an invite. Applications were made by selecting Request Playtest on the store page, with selected participants notified individually on a rolling basis, and invitations could be closed early depending on server capacity. Access began rolling out to selected players on June 23, 2026, ahead of the test window. Because the Closed Alpha ran at a limited scale, not everyone who applied was invited, and the game appeared in a participant's library only once the test began. In Coordinated Universal Time the session ran from 08:00 on June 26 to 08:00 on June 29, 2026.
Session | Dates | Region Coverage |
|---|---|---|
Second Closed Alpha Test | June 26 to 29, 2026 (UTC+9) | East Asia, Europe, North America |
The second alpha went live on June 26, 2026, becoming playable directly from a participant's library. In response to strong demand, PUBG Studios granted additional access by region on a rolling basis so that more players could join. Shortly after launch the test experienced network instability, including connection delays and matchmaking failures, which the developers addressed with a brief maintenance that restored service the same day. The test then ran to its scheduled close on June 29, 2026.
These testing phases reflect an ongoing development process. For an overview of the game itself, see PUBG: Black Budget, and for the systems being tested, see Gameplay and Extraction.