According to VGC, Dave Curd, Creative Director of PUBG: DED.NET, recently introduced the core gameplay of this spin-off title. The game combines battle royale with roguelike progression, where a player's challenge spans multiple matches, with victory/defeat outcomes and character status carrying over to the next round.
When starting a challenge, players can choose one character from the initial roster of nine. These characters have their own motivations, interpersonal relationships, and map-specific dialogue lines, but are not tied to exclusive abilities. The development team hopes players will choose based on their preferred characters and stories, rather than simply chasing powerful skills.
After selecting a character, players need to determine their initial build from Assault, Support, or Disruption-oriented paths. A single challenge is expected to last five to seven matches and features an independent Challenge Health: poor performance will cause it to decrease, and once depleted, the current challenge ends; even if a single match is not won, characters still have the chance to gain new abilities and continue refining their build.
Individual matches follow a 60-player trios rule. The game does not use the plane skydiving process from PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds; instead, teams first mark target areas on the map and can see where the other 57 players are preparing to go. Before the countdown ends, teams can insist on contesting the target location or temporarily change their drop point.
The map covers approximately 5.5 square kilometers, but the initial playable area is around 2.5 square kilometers, meaning the open zone may vary each match. After entering a match, players still face a constantly shrinking safe zone; character deployment methods may include waking up from a body bag, being kicked out of a helicopter, or emerging from a crate at the bottom of a lake.
Each match also features an ability selection mechanism. Players draw options from the ability deck corresponding to their current build, then gradually unlock abilities through various stages, possessing up to five abilities by the fifth stage. After the match ends, the system provides abilities from the same path, skills from other paths, and random options, allowing players to continue adjusting their build.
In the latter half of a challenge, powerful abilities may come with injuries or negative effects. For example, an ability that marks targets at long range might come with "Weapon Slip," causing a small chance for the player to drop their weapon when switching; dual-wielding shotguns might also carry a restriction of taking damage while swimming. As the challenge approaches its final match, players need to make trade-offs among various injuries.