PUBG’s new shooter looks absolutely unhinged, and I kind of love it

PUBG is apparently done being serious for a minute. PUBG Studios has revealed DED.NET, a new multiplayer first-person shooter that takes the franchise into a much stranger direction. Revealed during Gamescom Opening Night Live, the game is set in a bizarre version of 1990s Cascadia and combines multiplayer FPS action with roguelite progression across runs.

PUBG, but make it weird

The announcement trailer wastes absolutely no time establishing that DED.NET isn’t trying to be another PUBG. Instead of military realism, we’re getting characters penguin-sliding across the map, graffiti-covered weapons, and enough general nonsense to make you wonder whether someone accidentally replaced the PUBG design document with a fever dream. Honestly, the game looks like PUBG Studios decided to throw the rulebook out the window and see what kind of chaos crawls back in.

Underneath all that chaos, however, is a rather interesting gameplay hook. DED.NET is described as a multiplayer FPS with roguelite progression across runs, meaning each match isn’t necessarily just another reset to zero. The system is designed to give players room to experiment, adapt, and develop their own approach as they play.

This is definitely not PUBG 2

And that’s probably the most interesting thing about it. PUBG Studios already has the traditional PUBG experience covered, so DED.NET appears to be an opportunity to take the shooting mechanics somewhere much less conventional. The 1990s Cascadia setting gives it a distinct identity, while the roguelite structure could make repeated runs feel considerably more varied than the usual multiplayer shooter loop.

There’s still plenty we don’t know, including the finer details of its progression system, modes and release plans. But after years of PUBG being associated with battle royale, DED.NET looks like PUBG Studios finally decided to take the training wheels off and see what happens. And judging by that trailer, what happens is going to involve a lot of explosions, questionable movement techniques, and probably several very confused pigs.