Which 2000 Japanese film inspired PUBG's battle royale concept?

The 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale inspired PUBG’s battle royale concept. Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the film depicts students forced to fight on an island until only one survivor remains.

Brendan Greene, the designer known online as PlayerUnknown, drew on the film’s survival premise while developing his battle royale game modifications. PUBG translated that basic setup into an online multiplayer format: players drop onto an island, search for weapons and equipment, and compete until one player or team remains.

The film was not the only influence. Greene’s work also grew from mods for ARMA 2, especially DayZ: Battle Royale, and from later development experience with H1Z1. PUBG therefore combined cinematic inspiration with military-simulation ideas, scavenging, shrinking safe zones, and competitive multiplayer systems.

Battle Royale is sometimes confused with the general genre label “battle royale.” The phrase now describes a type of game, but its prominent modern association comes from the film and its 1999 source novel by Koushun Takami. PUBG helped turn that premise into a mainstream game format.