Why PUBG Won't Be Getting A Single Player Mode

For those of you who have been exploring the island in PlayerUnknown's Battleground, you've likely got questions about where it exists, why it exists, and who lived and worked there before it became a massive arena for a death game. That's exactly the kind of questions that could be answered in a single-player campaign but, according to the game's creator, there are no plans to add that mode anytime soon.

In the midst of PAX Australia, the folks over at Gamespot had a quick chat with PUBG creator Brendan Greene. The only hit on a couple of topics, the first of which was a potential story mode for the game. Earlier in the year, Greene had stated that he would like to create a narrative-driven campaign for the game but, as of today, he's singing a different tune.

The "lore" Greene reference points to some background information he created for the island while originally building the game. He said he wanted the place to feel more real, and that context for the various locations around the island helped the team make the setting more believable. The fact that he isn't sharing any of that lore, though, makes us wonder if he's potentially saving it in case development shift gears at some point. Considering how successful PUBG is and how much money it has made even though it hasn't officially launched, though, has me scratching my head concerning his "no resources/no time" comment.

Still, as much as I'd like to learn more about the island, PUBG is one of those games that works perfectly as a solely multiplayer title. Just like I don't like to see multiplayer bolted onto a single-player game that doesn't need it, I agree that a campaign shouldn't be top priority in a game like Battlegrounds. The team is focused on more gear, a new map and other tweaks that will bolster the hugely-popular multiplayer setting, and that's where the focus should probably stay right now.

However, Greene does say that he'd like to get the lore out there at some point, so maybe there's hope yet for you curious explorers in the audience. I'd be in favor of a system similar to the Grimoire found in the original Destiny. What if, in the game's various locations, you sometimes stumbled upon a "book" mixed in with the regular loot? You could pick up that book and, for the time being, keep focusing on the game. Then, outside of the game, the books you collect give you bits and pieces of the backstory about the places where you found them. These could be newspaper clippings, diaries, informational pamphlets and the like...Just a thought.