*NOTE: “Goinmul” refers to an individual who has been doing something for a long time and very good at it.
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS made a transition to a free-to-play (F2P) service in January 2022. Since then, the game is crowded with lots of new players who try out battle royale for the first time as well as those who came back like salmon returning home. This is a very delightful news for the “Goinmul” users, who have been playing PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS for the long time. On such a backdrop, KRAFTON held a very special event called “PUBG GOINMUL CHAMPIONSHIP” where the Goinmul employees competed to find out who’s the best. Read onto the following KRAFTON blogpost to find out more behind-the-scenes stories about the PGC.
It was in Seocho-dong in central Seoul on Friday afternoon, February 18. “PUBG GOINMUL CHAMPIONSHIP (PGC),” a special tournament exclusively for the Goinmul employees at KRAFTON and PUBG STUDIOS, was held here. With the thrill of cutthroat survival still lingering, Woongbin Lim from PUBG Dev Div.’s Live Production Team talked about this event he planned and organized.
Woongbin Yim: Honestly, I never expected such an exciting event. Watching the Discord channel arranged for the participating teams to practice before the tournament, I came to cherish an anticipation. But it was beyond that. I realized again there are so many fans who love PUBG: BATTLEGROUDNS in our company. I hope their love to continue for a long time.
The PGC was held from February 17 to 18. Surprisingly, it was the first PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS tournament open for the entire KRAFTON employees. The tournament, which was based on the Standard and Universal PUBG Esports Ruleset (S.U.P.E.R.), consisted of eight matches. Tablet computers and smartwatches were the prizes for the best teams. For a fair competition, the participants were divided by four tiers based on their playtime and the ranked mode tier. A total of 64 participants formed in 16 teams for 4-men squad randomly.
Woongbin Yim: Thanks to the F2P switch, we have more new players for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. But they need time and effort to be able to fully enjoy playing. I thought it would be helpful for the “newbie” players to learn from the Goinmul players’ performances. At PUBG STUDIOS, we have long had a weekly event called “Playday” on every Friday in which the employees can test new features that are still under development. At first, I planned a small event. But thanks to the help from PUBG Esports Dept., Work Connect Team and Contents Team I could organize such an amazing tournament. I’m so grateful for them.
For the employees who watched the matches through the real-time online broadcasting, a “Pick’Em Challenge” also took place, allowing the audiences to guess the winner. Since the interview with the winning team and the MVP is an essential event in esports, Hyunkyung Lee, one of the most popular PUBG Esports interviewers, visited the venue and enjoyed brilliant plays together with the employees. One of the best moments of the tournament was at the end of seventh match, in which Taehwan Kim, or “Kanga,” recorded 15 kills alone. Kim was named the MVP of the tournament.
Taehwan Kim (a capture artist at Creative Center): I was excited too much on the second day because my team achieved high score. My teammates calmed me down not to make mistakes. Thanks to them, I could perform well in the seventh match. As a Goinmul who has played PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS over 4,000 hours so far, I hope the game become even greater for many people to enjoy.
The result completely changed in the last match. Team 3Y1S, which swept a whopping 25 kills in the match alone, took the top notch. Led by “KRAFTON,” or Younghwan Jun who is one of the most popular Goinmul players in KRAFTON, Team 3Y1S also had the most votes from the employees in the Pick’Em Challenge. The following is the interview with the Team 3Y1S members.
Nice to meet you. Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Younghwan Kang: My name is Younghwan Kang and I participated in the PGC by “fforce2.” I belong to Brand Creative Seoul Team.
Seonghee Kim: Hi. My name is Seonghee Kim and I work in Platform QA Team. My nickname is “Baejjang_e.”
Yongyune Choi: I’m Yongyune Choi in Contents Tech1 Team, PUBG Dev Div. I took part in the competition by the nickname “YYCHOI.”
Younghwan Jun: My name is Younghwan Jun and I belong to Separate Accounting Team. I was the main order of the team, and my nickname is “KRAFTON.” I didn’t mean to represent KRAFTON, but it happened somehow. (Laughter)
How did you prepare for the tournament?
Yongyune Choi: After we signed up for the tournament, we were divided into different tiers based on personal indexes like playtime and the ranked mode tier. And then we were allotted to a 4-men squad accordingly. This allocation was announced two weeks before the tournament. Since then, we had prepared the competition for three hours once every two or three days.
Younghwan Kang: All of us are very quiet, so we followed KRAFTON’s orders. We practiced in the ranked mode. We had Winner Winner Chicken Dinners more frequently and survived in each match better than before as we showed a great teamwork. We could enjoy the practice itself.
Seonghee Kim: I was very worried because the rest of the team seemed to be very good. I died first very frequently. But every time I died, KRAFTON told me how to deal with those situations so that I could improve my skills significantly. And thanks to that, I could contribute to my team in the tournament.
Younghwan Jun: To be honest with you, I looked up their records on Steam after the rosters are announced. I was satisfied with my team. In fact, I’m the one who tells his teammates do this or don’t do that. But this time, I tried very hard not to do so. I think it was a wise decision. (Laughter)
Did you have any special reason to participate in the PGC?
Seonghee Kim: I usually take part in the closed tests or events for the employees. But I’ve never seen an in-house PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS tournament like this one. So, I signed up for it without hesitation. I’ve always wanted to experience PUBG STUDIOS’ Playday. Of course, they were handing out free G-coins for all the participants. That’s what I could not miss!
How long have you played PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS?
Yongyune Choi: I’ve played the game about 1,000 hours. In fact, I’ve rarely played the game in the squad mode. Only play solo because I could be among the last survivors only by hiding in this mode and it’s more exciting for me. But thanks to the PGC, I realized it’s also very fun to play in the squad mode.
Seonghee Kim: I was not so sure about my skills, and I regarded myself as a newbie. But my playtime told otherwise since I’ve been enjoying playing with my squad mates for more than 1,800 hours so far. I felt guilty about pretending to be a newbie, so I ended up signing up for the PGC. Although I’ve been playing the game for a long time, I’m still not good at shooting.
Younghwan Kang: I played the game very much. My playtime is about 3,000 hours.
Younghwan Jun: I’ve played PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS since its earliest days. I also have multiple accounts in different platforms. I tried adding up my playtime after I signed up for the PGC and the sum was almost 6,300 hours. I was even in the top 20 in Asia in the early days.
Seonghee Kim: You are such a Goinmul! (Laughter)
What was the most unforgettable moment for you during the tournament?
Younghwan Jun: The last match, of course. Before the eighth match, we were in the third place and the score gap between us and the fourth team was 30 points, which was why I was sure that we have already secured at least the third place. I tried to stay cool, but inside of me was so eager to win. The most unforgettable moment was when I knew by intuition that we succeeded in reversing the tide. In the last match, we were nine points behind the leading team at the beginning. But I got five kills and fforce2 added six kills. Then I realized we could win by gaining the points for a rank. My heart was pounding so hard.
Younghwan Kang: For me, the most unforgettable moment also was the last match. We made 25 kills in the last match alone. Although we couldn’t’ finish the last match with a Chicken Dinner, I felt the teamwork was impeccable.
Seonghee Kim: I cannot forget the last match, too, because I showed a regrettable performance. At the end of the match, when we were one of the only two teams left, one of the opponents single-handedly killed me, YYCHOI and KRAFTON. If I hadn’t fall, I thought we could finish the tournament with a WWCD. I want to turn back time.
Yongyune Choi: The fourth match was the most unforgettable to me. We won the match in Erangel. We spread ourselves widely on a hillside and confronted the opponents. KRAFTON ordered us to attack them altogether and we could defeat the enemies with designated marksman rifles at once. I’ve usually played PUBG: BATTLEGROUDNS in solo mode and I rarely knock down the opponents at once. It’s the moment when I felt playing in squad is quite exciting.
Younghwan Jun: I think we fulfilled own respective role very well. I saw YYCHOI’s stats after the tournament and found that he has revived knocked out teammates more than any players in this event. He did his job very well.
As Goinmul players, what do you think is the biggest charm of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS?
Yongyune Choi: Honestly, I’m not good at shooting. I’ve trained myself, but it didn’t work by far. Nevertheless, I believe that anyone can enjoy the game in the squad mode if each squad member understands what their role is and carries out accordingly. I think it’s a charming point of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS.
Seonghee Kim: Compared to other games, the items are not the only factor that decides the result in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. I like that anyone can get a WWCD through their pure effort on practice.
Younghwan Kang: PUBG: BATTLEGROUNS is very realistic, which makes the game even more exciting.
Younghwan Jun: I enjoy games that require cooperation between players. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS can be even more thrilling when we cooperate with the teammates.
Do you remember the moment when you felt the thrill for the first time with PUBG: BATTLEGROUND?
Seonghee Kim: When I started playing PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, I thought sniper rifles are only for master players. One day, I killed my enemy by headshot with a Kar98k by chance. It was indescribably exhilarating.
Younghwan Kang: I encountered with two opponents alone in Vikendi. Although my vision was blurred by smoke grenades and the tension was so high in the air, I managed to defeat both. I was so excited that I downloaded the video clip. I still watch it from time to time. (Laughter)
Yongyune Choi: It was when there was fog in Erangel. I was playing in solo. I heard people passing by, so I kept quiet. They fought with each other and only one survived. And this one failed to find me and died outside the blue zone. I could get my hands on a Chicken Dinner. It was a very thrilling experience.
Younghwan Jun: I can’t remember my first WWCD nor my first kill, but I have another very unforgettable moment. In the past, I sometime met pro players in the first-person perspective mode, which rarely happens these days. My team knocked down a pro team once and it was a very intense experience for me.
Recently PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS made a transition to the F2P service. Do you feel any difference compared to when you first enjoyed the game?
Yongyune Choi: I think PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has more strategic options now compared to the past. In particular, the Tactical Gears like the Drone are very helpful to those who usually enjoy the game in solo. With the drone, players like me no longer need to figure out what’s going on the perimeter with their own eyes or ears, which means we have safer strategic options.
Younghwan Jun: Many features have been added so far, but I think the result still depends on gunplay at the end of the day. Since I’ve played PUBG: BATTLEGROUDNS for a very long time, I can predict the opponents’ next steps. For example, if I throw a smoke grenade, the enemies usually shoot into the middle of smoke or throw grenades into it. There are many who get easily deceived by those kinds of strategy recently. It’s quite fun to fool them. (Laughter)
Seonghee Kim: I have many friends who returned to PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS after the transition. I was taught by them in the past, but it’s overturned. Many features have been updated since then, so I’m teaching them now.
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. What is your wish as a long-time player?
Younghwan Jun: One of the reasons why I can play games for a long time is the people who enjoy them with me. I hope a clan system to be introduced in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. Of course, new maps are always welcomed. (Laughter)
Yongyune Choi: I want more contents that help us expand our strategic options. I hope to watch creative gameplays that even the Goinmul players can never expect.
Younghwan Kang: Playing this game for more than 3,000 hours means that I do love PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. I liked it and I still do. So, I hope PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS to be a game that I can love endlessly.
