Krafton is bringing its flagship title, PUBG: Battlegrounds, to the table in the form of a physical Trading Card Game (TCG).

Son Soo-hyun, CEO of the tabletop startup Card Monster, shared the news via LinkedIn: "Finally, I am sharing a hint about what has been kept under wraps for so long." Son confirmed that an official partnership has been established with Krafton to bring the PUBG: Battlegrounds experience into the realm of physical card games.

While specific details regarding the PUBG: Battlegrounds TCG remain under lock and key, Son noted that the team is working closely with Krafton to "recreate the tension and thrill of being the last one standing through a physical battle royale card game experience."

Card Monster is a tabletop game tech startup founded by Son in September 2023. The studio has previously developed tabletop board games featuring Disney properties such as Lilo & Stitch, Mickey Mouse, Frozen, and Monsters, Inc. Given that Son is a former Krafton employee, it is widely speculated that this history provided the catalyst for the PUBG: Battlegrounds TCG project.

This development aligns with a broader industry trend of expanding IPs into the thriving TCG market. Many developers are testing these waters; for instance, Riot Games launched its League of Legends-based TCG, Riftbound, in North America, China, and Europe last year. Furthermore, NCsoft teamed up with Bilibili and ArenaNet this June to unveil Mistbound, a CCG based on the Guild Wars IP. It seems Krafton is keen to follow suit with this strategic IP expansion.

Players are now keenly watching to see how the signature high-stakes intensity of a battle royale can be distilled into the mechanics of a TCG.