PUBG Mobile turns One-Punch Man heroes into battle-royale cosmetics

PUBG Mobile's latest crossover brings One-Punch Man into the battle royale, adding character sets and themed items based on Saitama, Genos, Terrible Tornado, Hellish Blizzard and Garou. The collaboration began September 20 and runs into October, but new coverage and promotional activity on September 22 are putting the full collection in focus.

Alongside direct character-inspired sets, players can obtain costumes referencing Saitama's everyday appearance, Watchdog Man and King, while additional equipment, collectibles and cosmetic items extend the collaboration beyond simply dressing an operator in a yellow jumpsuit. It joins an already busy Version 4.6 period for PUBG Mobile, which also includes the supernatural Midnight Hunters content and several other entertainment and brand partnerships.

Crossovers have become such a regular part of major mobile live-service games that the question is no longer whether a famous character will enter the battleground, but how developers make the collaboration distinctive enough to avoid becoming wallpaper. One-Punch Man at least has the advantage of a hero whose entire joke revolves around finishing fights immediately, which is wonderfully inappropriate for a battle royale built around surviving a long match.

The crossover is available globally outside mainland China, giving PUBG Mobile another recognisable franchise to carry its seasonal event calendar.