PUBG (Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds), a game inspired by the Japanese film Battle Royale (2000), is one of the very few games that became a global phenomenon, capturing the hearts of millions of players.
While it became a huge success in its early years by accommodating more than 65 million daily active gamers, the user base gradually faded in the following years. However, the recent statistics reveal that the game is on the verge of a revival.
This article focuses on PUBG’s resurgence by checking the number of people playing the game in 2025. It also delves into detailed revenue, cumulative sales, active users, and total downloads of previous years.
PUBG Mobile Overview
|
Launch date |
9 February 2018 |
|
Headquarters |
Shenzhen, China |
|
Developer |
Tencent Games |
|
Publisher |
Tencent Games |
|
Genre |
Battle Royale |
|
Designer |
Brendan Greene |
|
Producer |
Kim Chang-han |
Before we provide the detailed statistics, let’s get into the basic details of PUBG and its evolution as a cultural phenomenon.PUBG was first released as a PC game in 2017, designed by Brendan Greene, known widely through his handle “PlayerUnknown.”
Inspired by the Japanese movie Battle Royale, Greene had previously created the game “ARMA 2 mod DayZ: Battle Royale.” He extended his creativity by delving into PUBG, with the support of Bluehole (parent company of Krafton).
The success of PUBG’s PC version resulted in the creation of PUBG Mobile, which became an instant success. It became a cultural phenomenon in a short period, with local matches being conducted in each area, leading to the rise of various real-life clans.
PUBG Player Count in 2025: DAU, Revenue & Stats
As we said earlier, PUBG witnessed a significant decline, with an average of 40 million users playing it monthly. According to the insights from the Tencent Games, the user flow increases only on the launch day of new upgrades or events. That means PUBG has lost the unique ability to sustain its customers.
The events such as PUBG Mobile World Cup, The Sun’s Ascendance & The Moon’s Luminance, and ESports World Cup have attracted short-term users to the app but failed to provide a space for long-term use by general players. Below are latest statistics for the year.
PUBG Mobile Daily Active Users (DAU) – January 2025 to May 2025
| Month | Users |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 13,132,208 |
| February 2025 | 13,593,481 |
| March 2025 | 13,228,927 |
| April 2025 | 12,962,340 |
| May 2025 | 12,675,715 |
PUBG Mobile Monthly Active Users – January 2025 to May 2025
| Month | Users |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 35,440,553 |
| February 2025 | 35,053,999 |
| March 2025 | 33,817,712 |
| April 2025 | 32,730,266 |
| May 2025 | 31,410,923 |
PUBG Mobile Monthly Revenue – January 2025 to May 2025
| Month | Revenue |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | $139.1M |
| February 2025 | $119.4M |
| March 2025 | $140.5M |
| April 2025 | $129.5M |
| May 2025 | $126.5M |
PUBG Mobile Previous Years’ Statistics – DAU, Revenue & Downloads
Although the rival mobile game, Garena Free Fire has the top download count in thAe Play Store and App Store, PUBG remains technologically advanced, ensuring smooth gameplay. In the previous years, PUBG has survived various struggles, such as the 2022 ban by the Indian Government.
Despite the struggles, it showed an incredible performance, especially between 2019 and 2022. Below are the core stats from 2018 to 2024.
PUBG Mobile Daily Active Users (DAU) – 2018 to 2024
| Year | DAUs (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 50 |
| 2020 | 65 |
| 2021 | 35 |
| 2022 | 30 |
| 2023 | 27 |
| 2024 | 25 |
PUBG Mobile Total Revenue – 2018 to 2024
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $172 Million |
| 2019 | $1510 Million |
| 2020 | $2492 Million |
| 2021 | $2012 Million |
| 2022 | $1503 Million |
| 2023 | $1219 Million |
| 2024 | $1181 Million |
PUBG Mobile Total Downloads – 2018 to 2024
| Year | Downloads (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 261 |
| 2019 | 265 |
| 2020 | 218 |
| 2021 | 127 |
| 2022 | 100 |
| 2023 | 92 |
| 2024 | 101 |
PUBG Mobile Cumulative Sales – 2018 to 2024
| Date | Sales (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 50 |
| 2019 | 60 |
| 2020 | 70 |
| 2021 | 75 |
| 2022 | 80 |
| 2023 | 82 |
| 2024 | 84 |
Also Read: Kiarash Hossainpour: Roadmap Of A “Young Nerd” Who Became A Millionaire At 22!
Concluding Thoughts: Will PUBG Mobile Be Revived?
According to mobile gaming industry experts, the fall in user base is primarily due to a shift in gameplay mechanisms rather than the controversies, such as bans by various countries. A large number of users complain that it has lost the realistic touch that persuades the participants into multiple gameplays.
Drawbacks aside, PUBG is still the favourite game of millions of players, and we can expect a huge comeback soon. Let it resurge with a blast! “Winner winner, chicken dinner!”
