The world of PUBG is expanding, but not in the way you might expect. PUBG Blindspot, the latest project from PUBG Studios (once codenamed Project ARC), isn’t a battle royale. It’s a 5v5 top-down tactical shooter with surprising depth, layered strategy, and a whole new angle, literally.
A New Direction for PUBG Studios
At first glance, PUBG Blindspot looks like a major departure for Krafton and PUBG Studios. Gone are the sprawling open-world maps and last man standing mechanics. In their place is something more intimate, strategic, and visually distinct. From a top-down perspective, players engage in fast-paced PvP matches that rely just as much on clever positioning and communication as they do on reflexes.
This isn’t a battle royale experience with a new skin. It’s a bold reimagining of tactical combat inspired by games like Rainbow Six Siege, but remixed for a new format. According to PUBG Studios, the name “Blindspot” reflects the core gameplay loop of limited vision and environmental awareness, while “PUBG” in the title signals their commitment to branching into new genres while maintaining ties to their flagship universe.
Tactical Combat from a Bird’s Eye View
The heart of Blindspot lies in its top-down, vision-cone-based gameplay. Players have a full view of the map, but that doesn’t mean they can see everything. Your field of vision is sharply limited by angles, cover, and sightlines. Even though you’re looking from above, the tactical feel is closer to peeking around corners in an FPS. The result is a constant game of cat and mouse, where a moment of hesitation or a lapse in awareness can cost you the match.
What sets Blindspot apart from other tactical shooters is how it blends visual awareness with teamwork. Not only can you see what’s in your own line of sight, but your teammates’ vision, cameras, and drones are shared in real time. It’s a system that rewards coordination without requiring constant voice chat, which makes the game more accessible and potentially less toxic than its genre peers.
Demolition Mode and Team Deathmatch
The playable demo for Blindspot launched on Steam on February 21 as part of Steam Next Fest, and it brought with it two game modes: Team Deathmatch and Demolition.
Team Deathmatch is fast, fun, and a great place to learn the ropes. But the real standout is Demolition Mode, which is heavily inspired by classic attack and defend modes from CS GO and Valorant. In this mode, teams alternate roles. Attackers must breach defenses and plant a “Decrypter” on the “Crypt,” while defenders reinforce rooms, set traps, and try to stop them.
The pace here is slower, more methodical. There are no random pickups or loot systems. Every round feels like a tense, coordinated strike or defense, with destructible environments, tight corridors, and plenty of flanking opportunities. The dynamic battlefield with breakable walls and deployable gadgets means no two matches feel the same.
Characters and Loadouts
Rather than loadout customization, Blindspot leans into a hero-shooter model. Players choose from a cast of 10 unique characters, each with a distinct look, weapon loadout, and gadget. These aren’t familiar faces from PUBG Battlegrounds. They’re entirely new creations, some with wild designs like Dropdown, who sports a dystopian Harley Quinn vibe, and Collision, a bearded cowboy wielding a Winchester 1300 shotgun.
The arsenal includes familiar PUBG weapons like the AWM, MP5K, and Mk14, but the gadgets are where the game truly separates itself. From sticky bombs and medkits to burrowing drill cameras and scanning drones, each tool pushes players to rethink how they approach combat. These loadouts feel closer to Rainbow Six operators than traditional PUBG soldiers, and that’s clearly intentional.
Movement and Gunplay
PUBG Blindspot also reimagines movement and combat from the ground up. It uses keyboard and mouse controls similar to a twin stick shooter. You move with WASD, control your vision with the mouse, and ready your weapon with the right click, which also slows your movement, forcing you to think before you shoot.
Precision is rewarded. The game lets you aim for headshots, body shots, or crouching targets with the mouse wheel and key modifiers. Each gun has realistic sway and recoil, giving combat a heavier, more grounded feel than you might expect from a top-down game.
A Small but Mighty Development Team
Despite its polish and ambition, Blindspot is being built by a small team of under 15 developers. The group, known internally as the ARC team (referencing character arcs in storytelling), includes solo developers, overseas contributors, ex-pro gamers, and indie veterans. That background is reflected in the game’s agile design and experimental mechanics.
This isn’t a AAA behemoth. It’s a focused, tight production with clear design priorities: strategy first gameplay, readable visuals, and a pick up and play accessibility that avoids the bloat of many modern shooters.
The PUBG Connection (or Lack Thereof)
So, how much PUBG is really in PUBG Blindspot?
Aside from a few weapons and minor lore nods, not much. There’s a demolition map set in a Battlegrounds winner’s mansion, and some characters reference events from the PUBG world, but don’t expect frying pans or loot crates. Blindspot stands almost entirely on its own.
It’s more of a spiritual sibling than a direct descendant. Krafton seems to be using the PUBG brand as a launchpad for new ideas rather than strictly sticking to what made the original game popular.
What’s Next
The demo has already made waves at events like IGN Live, where pro player Matt “Kickstart” Smith helped showcase the game. A larger PC beta is planned for August, with early access expected sometime in 2025. PUBG Studios is actively collecting feedback during the demo to tweak mechanics, fix spawn camping issues, and hopefully address player dropout problems in ranked play.
PUBG Blindspot might not be what longtime fans were expecting, but that’s the point. It’s a clever, tactical shooter that isn’t afraid to wear its inspirations on its sleeve while trying something new. With the right support and updates, it could find a home in the same space occupied by Valorant, Siege, and other team-based shooters, but with its own sharp, top-down twist.
If Krafton can polish the rough edges and lean into the strengths of its vision sharing system, Blindspot might just carve out a fresh corner of the tactical shooter world.
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