I’ve seen countless discussions about PUBG and especially PUBG Mobile (PUBGM) across social media, gaming forums, and YouTube. Everywhere I look, players are saying the same thing: PUBG is dying. The latest updates have sparked controversy, with many fans calling the new graphics “ridiculous,” “cartoonish,” and “childish.” For a game once known for its gritty realism and intense battle royale experience, this visual shift feels completely out of place.

PUBGM’s transformation has left many longtime players confused and disappointed. The game’s serious tone seems lost beneath flashy cosmetics and arcade-style gameplay. Is this the evolution of PUBG—or the end of what made it iconic?

Why People Say PUBG Is “Dying”

Many players who started playing PUBG when it first launched in 2017 became fans of its realistic graphics and intense gameplay. The original version felt raw, immersive, and serious—exactly what battle royale fans wanted. But over time, the game changed. With newer updates, PUBG began to look more cartoonish, similar to Fortnite. This shift disappointed many longtime players who missed the tense, survival-focused experience they fell in love with.

Players on youtube say:

“Pubg gave me one of the best and beautiful memories , the slow pace and long 40 min matches , one life , every seconds feels like someone gonna kill me , the haunt of footsteps and gunshots, abandoned building and bridges , realistic graphics and movements , dark and scary war like environment , winning with 3+kills used to feel like heaven , and now it has become a fashion show all colorful ,full of skins , toxic players who only play for kills . this is not the pubg which i used to play 6 years ago.”

“From a realistic game to Fashion Show.”

“Pubg went from realistic to avarage mobile game.”

So, Nostalgia is one reason for players to drop the game.

Ridiculous Collaborations of PUBG

PUBG Mobile has become infamous for its wild, unexpected, and sometimes downright ridiculous collaborations. While some collabs boost engagement and bring in new audiences, others leave longtime fans wondering if the game has lost its gritty battle royale soul. Let’s dive into the most outrageous ones:

PUBG MOBILE X Skibidi Toilet

PUBG MOBILE teamed up with the viral Skibidi Toilet meme—and the result was pure chaos. Players had to fight giant toilets with laser eyes, dodge crazy animations, and survive in maps filled with meme madness. The update even ran in HDR mode, making everything look wild and over-the-top.

It’s one of the strangest updates PUBG has ever released. Some players loved the fun; others missed the serious battle royale vibe. Either way, it got everyone talking.

Arabian Nights x PUBG MOBILE: A Fantasy-Themed Collab

The update was timed with Ramadan and targeted players in the MENA region, blending gameplay with regional folklore and festive vibes.

This update officially known as the 3.1 update, released on March 12, 2024, created huge hype when it launched. Players were excited to explore magical desert cities, fly on carpets, and use genie grenades in battle. The game looked fresh and different, and for a moment, it felt like PUBG was reinventing itself. But that excitement didn’t last. Many longtime fans felt the fantasy theme clashed with PUBG’s original war-like atmosphere. Instead of gritty survival, the game now looked more like a cartoon.

Then

And Now

As more updates followed with glowing toilets, dancing ghosts, and flying carpets, loyal players started losing interest. These flashy changes may attract new users for a short time, but they’re slowly pushing away the core community that made PUBG great in the first place.

Magic Mirror Castle – Spooky Soirée (Erangel 4.0)

Erangel was once a war-torn survival zone. Now? It’s home to haunted castles, ghost pets, and flying brooms. The Magic Mirror Castle introduced supernatural loot, teleportation mirrors, and eerie green skies. Tactical realism? Gone. Welcome to Halloween fantasy.

But the question after all this confusion & chaos is still there.

is PUBG really dead? are people going to stop playing it? Not really!

In Asia, PUBG Mobile (PUBGM) is far from dead. The game continues to thrive with millions of active players, long gaming sessions, and a deeply loyal fanbase. Despite criticism from streamers who call its mechanics “laughable” and rank it in the F-tier of battle royale games, the numbers tell a different story.

Krafton and Tencent are still heavily investing in the franchise. Tencent’s LightSpeed & Quantum Studio continues to develop PUBGM globally, while Krafton expands its AI and game studio portfolio. And when a game is still generating revenue—over $126 million monthly in 2025—it’s hard to call it dead.

Even after statistical declines, PUBG Mobile remains in the top 3 most played mobile games worldwide, alongside Roblox and Candy Crush Saga. That’s not just survival—it’s called maturity.

Despite all the criticism about cartoonish updates and fantasy-themed chaos, PUBG MOBILE is securing its place among the biggest esports titles in the world.

In 2025, PUBG MOBILE secured its spot in the prestigious Esports World Cup, hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a jaw-dropping $3,000,000 USD prize pool.

So, here is the Conclusion

PUBG MOBILE is living, evolving battleground of emotions, memories, and ambition. The developers are still investing, players are still playing, talking, ridiculing, enjoying, and reminiscing. Stats may rise and fall, but one truth remains: the game is still moving forward.

Two distinct mindsets now shape the community. On one side are the veterans—the loyal fans who fell in love with PUBG’s original war-like intensity, the 30–40-minute matches, the haunting footsteps in abandoned buildings, and the raw thrill of survival. For them, PUBG was more than entertainment—it was an immersive experience. But then came the turning point. The makers weren’t afraid to experiment. They introduced bold collaborations with Sonic the Hedgehog, Arabian Nights, Spooky Soirée, and ghostly companions. These updates brought color, chaos, and creativity.

And while some longtime players felt alienated, a new generation embraced the change. Today’s players are grinding hard, mastering new mechanics, investing real money, and even building careers through esports tournaments with million-dollar prize pools. PUBG MOBILE now stands at a crossroads—nostalgia versus innovation, realism versus fantasy. The choice is yours: stay and play or go and grow. Either way, the battleground is still alive—and it’s waiting.

Now YOU tell: Is PUBG evolving or losing its soul? Tell us where you stand.

Read More: Why PUBG Mobile, Free Fire & COD Mobile Were Banned in These Countries? – Esports Planet