PUBG Mobile Interview delves into ‘Play for Green’ campaign, games’ role in environment protection, and more

PUBG Mobile recently launched the “Play for Green” campaign. Part of the Green Game Jam 2024 organized by Playing For The Planet, this event helped in spreading awareness about the environment while incorporating these elements within their games. Curious about the approach PUBG Mobile took in building this event, we at GamingonPhone sat with Vincent Wang, Head of PUBG Mobile Publishing at Tencent Games and Mark Maslin, Climate Scientist and UCL Professor for an Interview that discussed the Play for Green campaign, games’ role in environment protection, and more.

1. Playing For The Planet Green Game Jam is a great initiative to begin with, and with PUBG MOBILE being part of it, it is sure to catch the attention of many players. How did this campaign come about?

Vincent: Playing For The Planet’s Green Game Jam is a fantastic initiative that brings together the power of the gaming industry to drive real-world environmental impact. For PUBG MOBILE, this opportunity was a natural fit, as we have a vast, engaged player base and a platform that can effectively raise awareness about climate issues.

Our participation in the Green Game Jam came from a desire to leverage our reach to not only entertain but also to educate and inspire players to take meaningful action to protect the earth. The campaign aligns with our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, and it allows us to use the creativity of the gaming community to spotlight crucial issues in a way that resonates with players worldwide who may not be as engaged with these wider issues otherwise. 

2. What is PUBG MOBILE’s role in Playing For The Planet Green Game Jam?

Vincent: As part of Playing For The Planets Green Game Jam, PUBG MOBILE created an immersive experience that raises awareness of climate issues through in-game content. As part of this initiative, we’ve developed a special themed map series, the Ruins of Erangel, which visualizes the devastating effects of climate change if it continues at the current rate. By presenting a future where inaction has led to severe environmental consequences, we hope to provoke thought and inspire our players to consider their own impact on the planet. 

Alongside events and competitions to further engage and incentivize our community, we’re also encouraging players to engage with climate-conscious behaviors through events like Run for Green, which translates in-game activity into contributions towards real-world conservation projects.

Specifically, players’ participation helps contribute to three impactful conservation projects: The Cerrado Biome Project in Brazil, focused on preserving one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems by offering incentives for land conservation; The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve Project in Indonesia, which protects peatlands and the endangered orangutan population, and The Delta Blue Carbon Project in Pakistan, working to restore mangroves in the Indus River Delta, a vital carbon sink that also supports local communities.

Through these initiatives, players are directly involved in supporting global environmental sustainability efforts while engaging in fun, interactive gameplay. By translating gameplay into tangible environmental contributions, PUBG MOBILE reinforces its commitment to both entertainment and positive real-world impact.

3. Managing environmental themes and in-game content is surely a challenge. Can you share the process of how you integrated both of these into PUBG MOBILE?

Vincent: Integrating environmental themes into PUBG MOBILE required careful collaboration between our development teams and our expert consultant. Our goal was to ensure that the in-game content not only aligned with real-world climate data but also remained fun and engaging for players. We worked closely with Climatologist and University College London Professor Mark Maslin, whose research shaped the Ruins of Erangel map series.

The challenge was to create a setting that vividly reflects the potential future consequences of climate change while maintaining the gameplay experience that players love. We did this by blending scientific realism with our in-game narrative and environments, crafting a map series that is both thought-provoking and exciting to explore.

4. How do you see themed maps in the Playing For the Planet’s Green Game Jam PUBG MOBILE campaign contributing to the conversation around climate change?

Vincent: Themed maps, like The Ruins of Erangel series, serve as a powerful visual representation of the potential future impacts of climate change. By immersing players in a world that’s been severely affected by environmental degradation, we’re helping to make the abstract and often distant idea of climate change more tangible and immediate.

The map doesn’t just tell a story, it shows players what the world could look like if we don’t take action now. We believe this experience can ignite conversations among our player base about the importance of sustainability and inspire them to reflect on their own environmental choices.

5. How did the idea of having a themed map creation contest first strike?

Vincent: World of Wonder’s core value is empowering millions of players to create their own gameplay experiences, and through this contest, we encouraged players to use our templates and in-game items to not only present their visions for a sustainable future but to extend the environmental conversation. We know that many of our players are incredibly creative, so we wanted to provide a platform where they could express their ideas and visions for a sustainable future.

World of Wonder provided this platform and allowed us to host a map creation contest where players could use their creativity to build maps inspired by environmental themes. By engaging players directly in this way, we can not only foster their creativity but encourage them to think critically about protecting the earth and empower them to contribute to the conversation in a meaningful manner.

6. I read about how the new official maps in World of Wonder mode were based on real-world scientific data. I’m curious to know how closely the development team worked with climate scientists to ensure the realism and accuracy of ‘The Ruins of Erangel’ maps.

Vincent: We worked very closely with climate scientists to ensure that the Ruins of Erangel map reflected the most accurate and up-to-date scientific predictions impacts of climate change. Professor Mark Maslin, who is an expert in the field, provided key insights and data that helped shape the visual and environmental details of the map. His research, which was compiled in our PUBG MOBILE Play for Green: 2124 Climate Report, was instrumental in depicting the potential effects of rising temperatures, extreme weather patterns, and rising sea levels, and helped our development team to ensure that the in-game environments are not only scientifically accurate, but also engaging for our players.

7. In your opinion, how can PUBG MOBILE inspire players to take action on climate change?

Vincent: PUBG MOBILE inspires players to take action on environmental issues by integrating meaningful in-game experiences with real-world impact. Through initiatives such as the aforementioned Run for Green event, players can directly contribute towards real-world conservation efforts with their in-game achievements. Through Play for Green, we aim to not only entertain our players but also educate them on the importance of environmental stewardship.

By enabling them to make a real-world impact through the aforementioned Run For Green event, and by showcasing the potential consequences of inaction through the Ruins of Erangel map series, we hope to make players think more critically about the world around them, and the positive impact they can make. By combining education with action, we can motivate players to make small changes in their day-to-day lives that, collectively, can make a big difference.

8. Can you discuss the research that underpins the ‘Play For Green’ campaign and how it connects to the current state of environmental conservation?

Mark: The research underpinning the Play for Green campaign comes from the very latest scientific data and reports. PUBG MOBILE’s Play for Green: 2124 Climate Report white paper serves as the foundation for the Ruins of Erangel map series, which visualizes the potential future impacts of environmental degradation based on real-world data. The white paper provides a comprehensive view of the environmental challenges we face; including rising temperatures, increasing sea levels, deforestation, and resource scarcity, and translates these findings into the gaming context.

By incorporating insights from this white paper, Play for Green makes complex environmental issues accessible to a broad audience, particularly young adult gamers. The white paper ensures that the campaign stays rooted in scientific accuracy while still engaging players in a way that is interactive and entertaining. It highlights specific, actionable steps individuals can take to reduce their environmental impact, reinforcing the connection between in-game actions and real-world conservation efforts. This approach aligns with current trends in environmental conservation, which emphasize the importance of community involvement and individual responsibility in addressing global challenges.

9. In your view, how do you think gaming can inspire people to take real steps toward protecting the environment?

Mark: Gaming has an unparalleled ability to connect with people on an emotional level, offering immersive experiences that can inspire real-world action. Games like PUBG MOBILE provide players with environments where the consequences of environmental degradation are not only visible but impactful to gameplay. This direct connection between virtual and real-world scenarios can spark conversations, and reflection, and ultimately inspire players to adopt more sustainable behaviors.

Through campaigns like Play for Green, games can educate players about environmental issues in a relatable and interactive way. Challenges, rewards, and storytelling can be used to reinforce positive environmental actions, making it easier for players to see how their efforts can contribute to larger conservation goals. By fostering a sense of agency and urgency through in-game experiences, gaming has the potential to drive meaningful engagement with environmental causes, from energy conservation to reforestation, whilst striking a balance between fun and fact. 

10. What challenges do you see in translating complex environmental science concepts into a gaming context, and how can they be overcome?

Mark: Translating complex environmental science into a gaming context presents several challenges, particularly when balancing scientific accuracy with gameplay engagement. One of the primary challenges in translating environmental science into a gaming context is ensuring that the concepts remain accurate without overwhelming players with information. Complex issues such as climate dynamics, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion need to be simplified to ensure they fit seamlessly into the game while remaining scientifically valid.

In PUBG MOBILE’s Ruins of Erangel map series, we addressed this challenge by utilizing real-world scientific data in the design. The map portrays a once-thriving landscape now devastated by climate change, illustrating the potential consequences of failing to address these issues. This connection to real-world environmental science encourages players to reflect on the tangible effects of inaction.

Another challenge is making these concepts engaging without turning them into didactic lessons, as the core goal is to entertain players whilst seamlessly integrating educational elements. This can be overcome by scientists and game developers collaborating early in the development process to ensure that the environmental themes are woven naturally into the game mechanics. For the Ruins of Erangel, this early collaboration came in the form of the white paper, which provided the scientific foundation for the map design. As an avid game player myself I was also able to provide suggestions of how climate change could be visualized with a game setting.

By integrating data from this report and using my suggestions the development team was able to visualize a world where the effects of environmental degradation are palpable, turning complex scientific predictions into a narrative-driven experience. This collaboration allowed the game to convey the urgency of sustainability through gameplay, where players must navigate a world shaped by the consequences of ecological neglect. As a result, it becomes more than just a backdrop, it’s a dynamic, immersive reflection of real-world issues, making the scientific concepts not only engaging but also understandable and impactful.

11. What’s your long-term vision for how games can help promote and support a more eco-friendly world?

Mark: I believe games have the potential to become powerful tools for promoting a more eco-friendly world by blending education with entertainment in ways that inspire action. One of the key ways games can support sustainability is by creating immersive experiences that allow players to engage with environmental issues in a hands-on, interactive way. It allows players to understand environmental issues in an emotive, immersive way – not just a set of dull facts or brief reports on the news.

For example, games like PUBG MOBILE can integrate environmental themes into their core gameplay, as seen in the Ruins of Erangel map series, which encourages players to reflect on real-world issues like resource depletion and ecosystem collapse. It’s important to recognize that the majority of gamers today are part of a younger demographic, which makes gaming an ideal medium for raising awareness and inspiring meaningful environmental action amongst an audience that will play a key role in shaping the future.

The international, social, and collaborative nature of gaming also provides an ideal platform for fostering collective efforts toward sustainability. Multiplayer games, for example, can incorporate challenges where communities across the world work together to restore virtual ecosystems or implement renewable energy solutions, promoting eco-friendly habits in a fun and engaging way. Games like PUBG MOBILE engage over 50 million users per day from all around the world making it a powerful fun way to engage and support players build a more sustainable world.  

In the long run, my vision is that games will not only entertain but also empower players to adopt sustainable behaviors, bridging the gap between virtual achievements and real-world impact. Through continued collaboration between scientists, game developers, and players, gaming can drive meaningful conversations and actions around environmental conservation, and inspire a generation of eco-conscious individuals.

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