PUBG: Battlegrounds is adding a kick to its bare-hands combat. Players can use kicks to push back opponents or break objects such as windows and trees, opening up new ways to play. Secondary and throwable weapons can now be used at the water's surface, and item handling has been expanded so that players can pick up items off the ground and carry them or throw them to teammates. Nexon, meanwhile, will officially open MAPLESTORY ESCAPE, an escape room cafe based on its MapleStory intellectual property, in Seoul's Hongdae area on Sept. 21. The company plans to reinterpret MapleStory's setting and best-known regions as escape room content, letting visitors experience the game's stories in a physical space.
Nexon to Open MapleStory Escape Room Cafe in Hongdae on Sept. 21
Nexon will officially open MAPLESTORY ESCAPE, an escape room cafe built on the MapleStory IP, on Sept. 21 in partnership with Isang Creative.
Located near the main gate of Hongik University in Seoul's Mapo District, MAPLESTORY ESCAPE is an experiential space that recreates the game's world and key regions as escape room content. Visitors take part in the game's stories directly, solving missions to experience the MapleStory IP offline.
Each session accommodates two to six people, with reservations opening every Monday at 10 a.m. on YES24.
The venue will feature five themes, opening in stages. It starts on the 21st with the thriller theme "Kerning City" and the arcade theme "Mu Lung Garden," followed by the spooky theme "Haunted Mansion" on the 28th, the infiltration theme "Edelstein" on Oct. 5 and the arcade theme "Ludibrium" on Oct. 12. Each theme is designed around the characteristics of its in-game region, with staging tailored to its genre.
The backstory begins with the discovery of five books with missing endings deep inside the Library of Dimensions. Set in Maple World, participants become heroes who leap into the books to fix the distortions in each story, recovering "dimension fragments" and completing the blank endings.
Nexon has also prepared opening events. Through Sept. 27, users with a main MapleStory character at level 270 or higher will receive early booking benefits, and the team that sets the day's fastest escape record will receive a limited-edition acrylic stand. An event on the streets of Hongdae will let visitors play mini-games with in-game NPCs.
From Oct. 9 to 11, Nexon will hold "Maple Escape Day," with creators including Seglja, Pangiyo, Myeongyehunjang, Cheongmyo and Jingeuk Cannon working as part-time staff at the escape room cafe. Applications are open through Sept. 27.
PUBG: Battlegrounds Expands Gameplay With 43.1 Update
Krafton's PUBG: Battlegrounds has expanded its gameplay with the 43.1 update, adding new actions and ways to use items.
The update widens the range of actions available to players in combat, movement and item use. The aim is to diversify the play experience and allow more varied responses depending on the situation and environment.
First, a kick has been added to bare-hands combat. Players can push back other users or destroy certain objects such as windows and wooden doors. Secondary and throwable weapons can now be used at the water's surface, and swimming and diving speeds have been increased 25% from before. With new options ranging from close-quarters standoffs to movement on water, play patterns are expected to become more varied depending on circumstances.
Item use is also changing. Depending on the type, items on the ground can be picked up and carried or thrown to teammates, while healing and boost items and some deployable items can now be used immediately. Reducing unnecessary inputs when acquiring and using items lets players choose the actions they need more quickly and focus on the flow of the battlefield.
Light machine guns received further balance adjustments based on play data and user feedback gathered since the 42.3 update. The change reflects that LMGs had a larger-than-expected impact on the overall play environment after the first meta rotation. The adjustments preserve the weapon class's distinctive strengths while touching aiming speed, recoil, effectiveness against vehicles and spawn rates.
Collaboration content with the anime "Jujutsu Kaisen" has also been added to the game. Areas of Erangel now feature spaces and staging inspired by "Jujutsu Kaisen," letting players encounter the collaboration content naturally during normal play.
Netmarble Unveils Stage Event Lineup for Three TGS 2026 Titles
Netmarble has unveiled the stage event lineup for three titles it is showing at Tokyo Game Show 2026: "Shangri-La Frontier: Seven Strongest Species," "Solo Leveling: Karma" and "Pearl in Blue."
At TGS 2026, held at Makuhari Messe in Japan from Sept. 17 to 21, Netmarble will run media presentations and showcases for each title, along with cosplay shows and special stages featuring popular streamers.
"Shangri-La Frontier: Seven Strongest Species" will offer its first playable demo at TGS 2026, and on the 17th the company will hold a media presentation featuring Netmarble Nexus development producer Kim Kyung-ryul and Netmarble Japan business division head Yamato Yamashita to reveal the latest details about the game. Popular cosplayer Enako will appear as a special guest, and from the 18th, Enako and Ami Minami will appear daily as "Oikatzo" and "Arthur Pencilgon" alongside "Sunraku" in a special cosplay show.
Well-known streamers including SHAKA and SPYGEA will also take part in special stages where they play the game and attempt boss raids. Pre-registration for "Shangri-La Frontier: Seven Strongest Species" also opened in Japan on the same day.
"Solo Leveling: Karma" will hold a media showcase on the 17th as well. Following a game introduction by Netmarble Neo development producer Jin Sung-gun, actor Kanata Hongo will take the stage as a special guest. Hongo will discuss the setting and appeal of "Solo Leveling: Karma" in a talk session and take part in a photo session.
"Pearl in Blue" will hold a media presentation on the 17th bringing together the development team, Japanese celebrities and the main characters' voice cast. Netmarble N2 development producer Jung Hyun-jun will appear alongside Yusuke Inoue of the popular Japanese comedy duo NON STYLE and freelance writer Gemuboku to introduce the game's setting, characters and appeal.
SOOP to Livestream Blizzard's BlizzCon 2026 Officially
SOOP will officially livestream the Main Stage and major esports content from BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard Entertainment's flagship gaming event.
BlizzCon 2026 will be held on the 13th and 14th, Korea time, at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. The two-day event includes an opening ceremony announcing news about Blizzard's major games, along with developer panels, game demos, community programs and esports tournaments.
SOOP will bring the event's Main Stage as well as major programs such as the Blizzard Classic Cup and the Overwatch World Cup to Korean users.
The Blizzard Classic Cup is a team competition that revives rivalries among players who have represented Blizzard esports. It covers four titles — StarCraft: Remastered, StarCraft II, Warcraft III: Reforged and Heroes of the Storm — with players representing each title, including Korea's Lim Yo-hwan ("BoxeR"), Kang Min ("Nal_rA") and Jang Min-chul ("MC").
The main draw and finals of the Overwatch World Cup, whose group stage was held in Busan in August, will also continue at BlizzCon. The eight nations that advanced from the group stage will compete for the title in a single-elimination format. South Korea won three consecutive OWWC titles from 2016 to 2018 but has not lifted the trophy since, through the 2023 edition. Attention now turns to whether the Korean team can return to the top and recapture its former glory.
Events for viewers watching the Overwatch World Cup are also planned. Watching OWWC on SOOP earns official in-game item drops, along with additional benefits including special drops prepared by SOOP.
