ARC Team and PUBG Studios have announced that their top-down tactical shooter PUBG: Blindspot will close on March 30, just over two months after its early access launch. The free-to-play spin-off from Krafton struggled with low player numbers and long matchmaking times. Sequoia Yang of ARC Team cited an inability to sustain the desired player experience as the reason for the shutdown.
ARC Team and PUBG Studios, under publisher Krafton, launched PUBG: Blindspot in early access on February 4 or 5. The 5v5 top-down tactical shooter aimed to refine gameplay through player feedback, with the development team releasing regular patches to address issues like balance and depth, as stated in Krafton's press release announcing the early access phase. Despite these efforts, the game faced persistent complaints about long wait times for matches due to low concurrent player counts on Steam. ARC Team's Sequoia Yang announced the closure in a post, stating, “after careful consideration, we have come to the conclusion that we are no longer able to sustainably provide the level of experience we set out to deliver through Early Access. We place player experience at the center of every decision we make, and it is based on that principle that we have made this decision.” Yang added that the team had explored ways to improve the game since the last update but described PUBG: Blindspot as “a bold attempt to explore new possibilities within the top-down tactical shooter space.” The servers will shut down on March 30 at 10am UK time. The game's run lasted about 55 days, outpacing Concord's 14-day lifespan by 40 days and Highguard's shorter duration. Yang expressed gratitude for player feedback and support, noting it will inform future projects as ARC Team regroups.
