PUBG continues its bizarre lore campaign with mysterious Sanhok 4 ARG video

The latest PUBG lore drop revisits the question of why the titular Battlegrounds exist at all, and kicks off a light ARG tied to the upcoming re-release of the Sanhok map. 

Sanhok will return on Wednesday, July 22, and it seems like it will have some ties to the Sanhok 4 revealed in the video above. The video opens with a behind-the-curtain look at the folks maintaining the in-universe Battlegrounds matches, complete with stream chat moderator and Blue Zone Guy. Things quickly go to hell when a squad of four especially dangerous participants drop off the net and invade the control bunker on the island. The video ends with an appearance from the no-doubt disgustingly rich mastermind behind the Battlegrounds, who's become a recurring shadowy character in these lore drops. 

Profiles for the Sanhok 4 are available on the PUBG website. They're all some flavor of murderer, basically, from born and raised psychopaths to ex-military turned mercenaries. PUBG Corp. not-so-subtly invites players to participate in the investigation into the Sanhok 4's goals and whereabouts, and it says additional hints will be shared in the days ahead, so expect this to come to a head on Wednesday. 

It's not quite as bizarre as that Jonathan Frakes segment about a child murderer, but I reckon the Sanhok 4 archives are a worthy addition to the growing library of weird-ass PUBG lore. Like most players, I always just kind of accepted that PUBG dropped 100 players onto an island full of guns Because Video Game, but I'll be damned if it isn't fun to watch PUBG Corp. graft an actual story onto things. 

These PUBG tips may not help you find the Sanhok 4, but they will help you stay alive when you drop on Sanhok for the first time in a while.

Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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