PUBG: Battlegrounds is giving creators a chance to build the next mode players may see inside the game. The PUBG UGC Contest opens on August 12, 2026, with $95,000 in total prizes across Combat, Survival, Creative, community-voted awards, and early-submission rewards.
This is not a contest where you only send an idea. You must build a working mode with the official PUBG UGC tools, publish it through CurseForge, and complete the official entry form. Contest participation is PC only, and creators must meet the age and account rules before entering.
Here is the full schedule, prize breakdown, entry process, and the rules most likely to cause problems.
PUBG UGC Contest quick facts
- Submissions open: August 12, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. UTC
- Submission deadline: September 2, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. UTC
- Community voting: September 6 through September 9, 2026
- Winners announced: Around September 14, 2026
- Total prize pool: $95,000
- Main categories: Combat, Survival, and Creative
- Platform: PC only through Steam, Epic Games Store, or Kakao Games
- Age: At least 18, or the age of majority where you live if that is higher
- Required accounts: A CurseForge Mod Author account and your own PUBG account
- Game requirement: UGC mode creation requires BATTLEGROUNDS PLUS
Dates can change if moderation, eligibility checks, judging, or technical issues take longer than expected. The official contest page and rules remain the final source for deadlines.
What is PUBG: Playgrounds?
PUBG: Playgrounds is the part of PUBG built to surface community-created modes. Instead of every match following the usual battle royale format, creators can design different rules, objectives, spaces, and ways to play.
The contest is one step in PUBG’s larger push toward user-generated content. Selected winning modes are planned to appear in PUBG: Playgrounds under a contest tag. PUBG says those modes may be added on a rolling schedule between October and December 2026.
PUBG is not the only major game expanding creator tools. Fortnite creators can now publish islands with AI-powered NPCs, while EA Sports FC 27 Creator Challenges lets players build and share custom scenarios. PUBG’s version keeps its own identity by focusing on gunplay, survival, and unusual twists on the Battlegrounds sandbox.
The three contest categories
Every entry belongs in one of three main categories. Pick the category that best matches the experience players will spend most of their time doing.
Combat
Combat is for player-versus-player action. Gun skill, movement, positioning, and competition should drive the mode.
Official examples include:
- Team deathmatch
- Gun game
- Sniper battles
- Aim challenges
- 1v1 arenas
A strong Combat entry needs more than a small map with weapons. Players should quickly understand the win condition, respawn flow, team rules, and what makes the mode different from a standard custom match.
Survival
Survival focuses on NPC enemies or environmental pressure. It can be cooperative, objective-based, or built around holding a position as the challenge gets harder.
Official examples include:
- Wave defense
- PvE missions
- Co-op defense
- Objective-based PvE
For this category, test whether players always know where to go and what to protect. A creative enemy wave means little if the objective fails, the pacing stalls, or one player can break the entire mode.
Creative
Creative is for modes where movement, rules, objectives, or playful ideas matter more than gunfights. Low-combat ideas are allowed.
Official examples include:
- Parkour
- Racing
- Party modes
- Puzzles
- Sandbox experiences
This is the broadest category, but it still needs a clear game loop. A surprising idea will score better if players can learn it quickly and want another round.
Who can enter the PUBG UGC Contest?
The contest is open to eligible individuals who meet all of the following conditions:
- You have a CurseForge Mod Author account.
- You are at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your area if it is higher.
- Local law does not prevent you from entering or receiving a prize.
- You create the mode using your own PUBG account and the official PUBG UGC tools.
- Your PUBG nickname and platform in the entry form match the creator account information.
- You participate on PC through Steam, Epic Games Store, or Kakao Games.
The base PUBG game is free-to-play, but the contest page says BATTLEGROUNDS PLUS is required to create UGC modes. Console players cannot enter this contest through PlayStation or Xbox.
Legal, tax, payment, and regional restrictions can still apply. Read the full official terms before investing serious time in a build.
How to enter the PUBG UGC Contest
1. Create a CurseForge Mod Author account
Use the CurseForge author registration page and finish any account setup or verification it requests. A normal browsing account is not enough if you have not joined the author program.
2. Build your mode with the official PUBG UGC tools
Create the entry on your own PUBG account. Choose Combat, Survival, or Creative early, because that choice should guide your rules and playtests.
You can enter more than one mode. There is no stated entry limit, but every submission must be meaningfully different. Reposting the same design with small changes can lead to disqualification.
3. Publish the mode on CurseForge
Your entry must be published, live, and available on CurseForge by the deadline. CurseForge also warns that moderation can take a few days, so uploading at the last minute is risky.
4. Complete the official submission form
Publishing the mode is not the final step. Fill out the contest form with accurate details, including your PUBG nickname and platform. The account and owner data connected to the mode must match the information you submit.
5. Check that the entry stays valid
Review the CurseForge moderation rules, PUBG Mod Policy, PUBG Playgrounds rules, and contest terms. If a problem is found later, an entry can lose visibility, eligibility, or a prize.
PUBG UGC Contest prize breakdown
The $95,000 total comes from three separate prize groups.
Main category prizes: $75,000
Each of the three categories has the same $25,000 breakdown:
- 1st place: $10,000
- 2nd place: $5,000
- 3rd place: $3,000
- 4th through 10th place: $1,000 each
That creates 10 main winners in each category, or 30 main-category winning modes across Combat, Survival, and Creative.
Community Favorites: $15,000
Six finalists will receive $2,500 each through valid community voting. A Community Favorite can also win a main category prize, so this does not necessarily mean six additional creators.
Mid-Contest Rewards: $5,000
Ten valid early entries will receive $500 each around August 23. CurseForge plans to choose these entries using early quality, originality, completeness, and playability.
The math is $75,000 in main prizes, $15,000 in Community Favorites, and $5,000 in mid-contest rewards, for a total of $95,000.
Full contest timeline
- August 4: Contest announced
- August 12 at 9:00 a.m. UTC: PUBG: Playgrounds and submissions open
- Around August 23: Ten mid-contest winners selected
- September 2 at 2:00 p.m. UTC: Submissions close
- September 6: Community voting begins
- September 9: Community voting ends
- Around September 14: Final winners announced
- October through December: Selected winning modes may begin appearing in PUBG: Playgrounds
Treat September 2 as the hard deadline, not the day to start moderation. An entry still waiting for approval when submissions close may not qualify.
How the judging works
The main prizes use four weighted criteria:
- Fun Factor — 35%: Enjoyment, clarity, engagement, and replay value
- Completeness — 35%: Structure, functionality, and a stable play flow
- Originality — 15%: How fresh and distinctive the idea feels
- Community Evaluation — 15%: Valid CurseForge downloads and community votes
Fun and completeness make up 70% of the score. A huge map or complicated rule set is not automatically better. A smaller mode that works, explains itself, and stays fun across several rounds may be a stronger entry.
Downloads and votes matter, but manipulated activity can be removed. Share your mode honestly and focus on getting real players to test it.
Rules that can disqualify an entry
The official terms are detailed, but these are the biggest practical risks:
- Submitting copied, duplicated, plagiarized, or materially similar work
- Using another creator’s work as your own
- Using protected characters, brands, music, logos, or artwork without the rights
- Recreating content from another game, movie, show, or entertainment property
- Adding in-world sponsor, advertising, or promotional information
- Providing a PUBG nickname or platform that does not match the creator account
- Leaving the CurseForge project unpublished or unavailable at the deadline
- Manipulating downloads or community votes
- Breaking CurseForge moderation rules, PUBG’s Mod Policy, or Playgrounds rules
If permitted AI-generated material is used, the creator is responsible for having the necessary rights. “The tool made it” does not remove that responsibility.
What happens to a winning PUBG mode?
Selected winning entries may be listed in PUBG: Playgrounds between October and December 2026. The terms say listed entries should remain available for at least one month, although KRAFTON can remove one earlier for legal, safety, technical, policy, or service reasons.
Winning does not turn the mode into a job offer or make it an official first-party PUBG mode. It remains creator-made UGC. The contest also gives CurseForge and KRAFTON certain rights to use, display, distribute, and adapt submitted material for contest, marketing, archive, and Playgrounds presentation purposes. Read that license section before submitting.
Non-selected entries are not automatically added to PUBG: Playgrounds. The terms say they remain playable through Custom Match only.
Simple ways to make a stronger entry
- Start with one clear loop. Players should understand what they are doing within the first minute.
- Build for repeat rounds. The judges score replay value, so the mode should stay interesting after the surprise is gone.
- Test failure states. Check respawns, teams, objectives, score limits, and what happens when players leave.
- Keep the scope realistic. Completeness is worth as much as fun. A polished small mode can beat an unfinished giant one.
- Submit early. Moderation can take days, and early valid entries can qualify for the $500 rewards.
- Watch new players. If every tester needs a long explanation, the rules or layout may need work.
- Use original assets and ideas. A familiar format is fine, but copying another game’s branded content is not.
PUBG UGC Contest FAQ
Is the PUBG UGC Contest open on console?
No. The official rules say contest participation is PC only, using Steam, Epic Games Store, or Kakao Games.
Do I need BATTLEGROUNDS PLUS?
Yes. The contest page says UGC mode creation is available only to BATTLEGROUNDS PLUS players.
Can I submit more than one mode?
Yes. There is no stated limit, but each entry must be meaningfully different. Duplicate or barely changed submissions can be disqualified.
Can one creator win more than one main prize?
No. The rules say an author can win only one Grand Prize. Community Favorite and mid-contest awards follow their own selection process.
Does a Community Favorite also qualify for a category prize?
It can. The contest page says Community Favorite winners may also win category prizes.
When is the final submission deadline?
Entries close on September 2, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. UTC. Your mode must be published, live, and available on CurseForge by the end of the contest period.
Where should I check for rule changes?
Use the official PUBG contest announcement and the full CurseForge terms. Those pages control the contest if a schedule, eligibility rule, or moderation requirement changes.
