Netflix and Krafton Announce Live-Action PUBG Series Starring and Directed by Donald Glover
South Korean video game publisher Krafton and streaming platform Netflix announced on Thursday, October 29, 2026, that a live-action television series adapting the battle royale title PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is in development, according to reports by GameSpot and IGN. Emmy and Grammy Award-winning artist Donald Glover will headline the production as lead actor while also directing, writing, and executive producing the adaptation. His brother and regular collaborator Stephen Glover joins the production team as co-writer and executive producer. Krafton has said it is exploring film and television extensions of the PUBG franchise.
Creative Leadership and Series Development
Krafton is co-developing and producing the television series through its dedicated entertainment division LV3H alongside independent production companies. Additional executive producers attached to the project include Michael Schaefer representing NEON TV, Fam Udeorji for production banner Gilga, and Taeseok Jang alongside Sujin Lee for LV3H. According to press statements shared by Krafton, the gaming conglomerate is focused on expanding its premier gaming franchise into original entertainment content. The television project joins an animated PUBG series currently in development under Castlevania producer Adi Shankar, establishing multiple screen adaptations for the franchise.
In 2020, Krafton announced initial plans for a PUBG film and television series, which was followed in 2021 by the announcement of an animated series from producer Adi Shankar that received no subsequent updates, according to Northeast Times.
The live-action PUBG television series grew out of a first-look deal between Netflix and publisher Krafton, and Netflix brought Donald Glover into the project, according to Northeast Times.
Production Partnerships and Franchise Universe
Although PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds originated as a multiplayer battle royale experience where 100 players parachute onto an island to battle until one remains, the fictional universe incorporates extensive background lore detailing the origins of the Battlegrounds. According to official franchise materials, the lethal contest was established by fictional billionaire Sergei Kalimnik, who survived a military assault on the island of Erangel in 1965 after enduring 17 days of violent conflict. Franchise narrative documents trace the survival contest back to a fifteenth-century hunting tradition known as Magna Venari, which may provide background for a scripted adaptation.
Lore Foundations and Battle Royale Fiction
Donald Glover brings extensive creative and screen experience to the adaptation, having previously created and starred in the television series Atlanta and Swarm. His television project Mr. & Mrs. Smith premiered in 2024 and secured 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations during its initial season, including an acting nomination for Glover. The performer also possesses gaming industry ties, having voiced Yoshi in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and collaborated with Ubisoft on commercial campaigns. The battle royale game continues to attract high player activity across digital platforms, registering more than 785,000 peak concurrent users on Steam on the day of the announcement.
The PUBG franchise holds seven Guinness World Records, including the fastest Steam Early Access video game to sell 1 million units, reach $100 million in revenue, and achieve 2 million concurrent players on Steam.