PUBG: DED.NET First Closed Beta Begins October 9 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

Why this matters: PUBG is testing a very different kind of shooter, and North American console players are the first to decide if the experiment works

October 9, 2026 — KRAFTON and PUBG STUDIOS open the first closed beta test for PUBG: DED.NET today, giving PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players in the United States and Canada their first hands-on look at a console-focused multiplayer shooter set in 1996 Cascadia.

Image: A stylised 1990s squad battles through a neon-lit Pacific Northwest town in Cascadia. Credit: AI-generated illustration / Red Eye Eagle News, original illustration.

Editor's Highlight: This is not another battle royale drop. DED.NET carries abilities and injuries across a run of multiple matches, so every fight changes the next one — and this four-day beta is the first real test of whether that roguelite loop holds up with live players, live servers and live matchmaking.

Table of Contents

• Key Facts
• A First Hands-On Test After gamescom
• How to Sign Up and Who Can Play
• What Makes DED.NET Different From Battlegrounds
• Why Feedback Is the Point of This Test
• What Happens After October 12
• Bottom Line
• FAQ
• Sources

Key Facts

Detail	Information
Game	PUBG: DED.NET
Developer / Publisher	PUBG STUDIOS / KRAFTON, Inc.
Beta window	October 9-12, 2026, starting 10 a.m. PT
Platforms for this test	PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Who can apply	Players 17+ in the US and Canada with a PSN or Xbox account
Sign-up	Official site at ded.net; access is limited and not guaranteed
Setting	Cascadia, a fictional Pacific Northwest region, in 1996
Genre	Multiplayer FPS with roguelite progression across multi-match runs

A First Hands-On Test After gamescom

KRAFTON announced the test on October 8, 2026.

Both reports agree on the core point: this is the first time the studio is opening the game to players.

That follows the game's reveal at gamescom 2026 earlier this year.

Until now, most players had only seen the reveal presentation.

From today, a selected group gets to play it for themselves.

Newsroom Focus: The timing matters for the studio as much as for players. A closed, regional test lets the team watch real load on servers and matchmaking before any wider rollout is promised.

How to Sign Up and Who Can Play

Registration is open at ded.net, according to the announcement.

Eligibility is narrow for this first round.

• You must be 17 or older.
• You must be in the United States or Canada.
• You need a PlayStation Network or Xbox account.

Access is limited, and registering does not guarantee a place.

There is one welcome detail for squads.

Once accepted, participants can invite friends to squad up and play together, rather than being locked into random matchmaking alone.

Practical Takeaway: If you are eligible, register sooner rather than later and watch for a selection notice. If you are outside North America, you can still register interest at the same site for future tests in your region.

What Makes DED.NET Different From Battlegrounds

PUBG: DED.NET is described by its makers as a console-first, free-to-play multiplayer FPS set within the PUBG universe.

The setting is a sharp change of pace.

The action takes place in Cascadia, a fictional region inspired by the Pacific Northwest, in 1996.

The bigger change is structural.

Instead of one standalone match at a time, DED.NET uses roguelite progression across a single run that spans multiple matches.

Element	How DED.NET handles it
Progression	Characters grow across a multi-match run
Carry-over	Abilities and injuries carry between matches
Strategy	Players adapt tactics as a run develops

That carry-over is the tactical hook.

A good fight can strengthen your character for what comes next.

A bad fight can leave you carrying an injury into the next match, forcing a different plan.

Analysis Note: Reinterpreting the survival lessons of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS into a run-based system is a clear attempt to give each session a longer arc, without asking players to commit to a full campaign.

Why Feedback Is the Point of This Test

The studio is framing this beta as an active development test, not a finished preview.

According to the announcement, the team wants to assess server and matchmaking stability, alongside gameplay and technical performance.

Participants can share views in two main ways.

• Through in-game surveys during the test.
• Through the official PUBG: DED.NET Discord, where they can also message developers directly.

That direct line matters.

Early balance, performance and matchmaking problems are easier to fix now, before a larger audience arrives.

Newsroom Focus: Watch what testers report about the carry-over system. If abilities snowball too far, later matches in a run could feel decided before they start — exactly the kind of issue a small closed test is designed to catch.

What Happens After October 12

The first test ends on October 12.

No full release date was announced in the beta news.

What is confirmed is the direction of travel.

PUBG STUDIOS plans to expand testing to additional regions, with details on future tests to be announced later.

Players outside North America are therefore not being shut out permanently.

They are simply not in the first wave.

For now, the official site at ded.net remains the place for registration and future test information.

Bottom Line

PUBG: DED.NET starts its first closed beta today, October 9, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in the US and Canada.

It is a different bet for the PUBG name: 1996 Cascadia, multi-match runs, and progression that remembers both your wins and your wounds.

What to watch next is simple — tester reaction to the roguelite loop, server performance over the weekend, and when the studio announces the next region.

FAQ

When does the PUBG: DED.NET closed beta run?

It begins October 9, 2026 at 10 a.m. PT and runs through October 12, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players in the United States and Canada.

How do I sign up for the beta?

Register at ded.net. You need to be 17 or older, based in the US or Canada, and hold a PlayStation Network or Xbox account. Places are limited and selection is not guaranteed.

Can I play with friends in the beta?

Yes. According to the announcement, accepted participants can invite friends to squad up and play together.

What is different about DED.NET compared with PUBG: Battlegrounds?

DED.NET is a console-focused multiplayer FPS set in fictional 1996 Cascadia. Its roguelite system carries abilities and injuries across a run of multiple matches, so progression and damage persist between games in a run.

Will the beta come to other regions?

Yes, that is the stated plan. PUBG STUDIOS says it will expand testing beyond North America, with dates and details for future tests to be announced later.

Sources

• Capsule Computers — KRAFTON announcement of the first closed beta, with start time, eligibility, sign-up and feedback details.
• Inven Global — Independent report confirming the October 9-12 window, platforms, Cascadia setting and roguelite progression.
• Hero image — Original AI-generated illustration created for Red Eye Eagle News for this article.