Steam hosted PUBG’s Windows early access beta in March 2017.
The Windows version launched through Steam Early Access on March 23, 2017. Early access let players buy and play an unfinished version while Bluehole, the game’s developer at the time, gathered feedback and released frequent updates. The planned early-access period was roughly six months, but development continued until the full PC launch on December 20, 2017.
Steam was not the only platform associated with PUBG’s early development. The game had closed alpha and beta testing before the public early-access release, while the Xbox One version later used Microsoft’s Xbox Game Preview program. Those separate programs can cause confusion, but the Windows early-access beta was specifically distributed through Steam—not Origin, GOG, or Epic Games Store.
PUBG’s Steam debut helped it spread rapidly through livestreaming and word of mouth. It became one of the platform’s biggest games in 2017, eventually surpassing major records for simultaneous players and helping establish battle royale as a mainstream genre.