Back in the winter of 2023, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS decided that its players were not suffering enough from frostbite, so it launched the Vikendi Cold Weather Training—a two-week survival course designed to separate the warm-blooded from the truly unhinged. Fast forward to 2026, and the legend of that snow-soaked contest still echoes across the battlegrounds like a distant gunshot in a blizzard. The premise was simple: explore every corner of Vikendi, capture an intense moment, and upload it to social media for a chance at G-COIN. The execution, as any veteran will tell you, was a beautiful mess of hashtags, hypothermia, and hope. 🥶

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The Training Brief: What Exactly Was This Frosty Circus?

The PUBG team framed it as a two-week training course to determine the strongest survivor of the cold. PC and Console platform users were both invited to freeze together in harmony. The mission: explore every possible Vikendi area, then capture a screenshot or video of an intense training moment and upload it to social media. The reward? A chance to be one of 300 selected trainees who would each receive 1,000 G-COIN (30 Days). Not exactly a lifetime supply of hot cocoa, but enough to buy a nice skin or two.

To enter, players had to include their PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS in-game nickname, their game platform (Steam, KAKAO, Epic Games Store, Xbox, PlayStation®, etc.), and the required hashtags. The exact hashtags varied by region, so trainees had to read their region's announcement on the official PUBG website. It was a classic case of "read the fine print or freeze in ignorance."

The Timeline: A Blizzard of Deadlines

The original Vikendi Cold Weather Training ran on a schedule that looked like it was designed by someone who really enjoyed time zones. Here is the frosty table of dates:

Time Zone Event Period
PST December 15, 11 PM – December 30, 10:59 PM
CET December 16, 8 AM – December 31, 7:59 AM
KST December 16, 4 PM – December 31, 3:59 PM
UTC December 16, 7 AM – December 31, 6:59 AM

Winners were announced later:

Time Zone Winners Announcement
PST January 19, 2023, 11 PM
CET January 20, 2023, 8 AM
KST January 20, 2023, 4 PM
UTC January 20, 2023, 7 AM

The PUBG team noted that dates were subject to change according to the weather conditions of the new winter—a charming euphemism for server hiccups, patch delays, or a stray blizzard in the data center. In 2026, players should always check official channels for current event schedules, because Vikendi weather is as reliable as a panicked squadmate. 🌨️

The Rules: Don't Be a Snowy Cheater

The event came with a list of rules that were longer than a sniper's breath hold. Here is the humorous breakdown:

  • A single PUBG account could participate only once. No cloning yourself, no matter how cold it gets.

  • Submissions showing areas only in Vikendi would receive a chance to be one of the 300 winners. Other maps were apparently too tropical for this training.

  • Only entries submitted through the provided platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) were counted. Carrier pigeon was not an option.

  • The social media post had to be public—everyone can see it—without any viewer restrictions during the event period and until rewards were delivered. Private posts were about as useful as a frying pan in a snowball fight.

  • Participants who submitted screenshots or videos that were not their own would be immediately disqualified and have their rewards withdrawn even after receiving them. The frosty hand of justice does not forgive plagiarism.

  • Players were advised not to change their PUBG nickname after participating, as it could cause difficulties during reward delivery. Changing your name mid-blizzard is like changing your identity while parachuting.

  • Screenshots and videos could be used in KRAFTON and/or PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS official channels. The winners announcement on the official homepage and community pages might include the social media link, nickname, or content.

  • The winners' screenshots and videos could be used by the company for promotional purposes, and they might be transformed freely during the process. So if your epic Vikendi wipe became a billboard, congratulations—you were famous and cold.

The Rewards: 1,000 G-COIN and a Warm Fuzzy Feeling

Three hundred lucky trainees walked away with 1,000 G-COIN (30 Days). That is 300 winners out of who-knows-how-many shivering hopefuls. The competition was fierce, the hashtags were plentiful, and the snow was relentless. But the real reward, as any PUBG philosopher will tell you, was the friends we froze alongside—and the screenshots we uploaded along the way.

How to Survive (and Maybe Win) in 2026

Even though the original event is now a nostalgic relic, the spirit of the Vikendi Cold Weather Training lives on. If a similar event returns in 2026, here is a humorous checklist for aspiring trainees:

  • Pull out your best training uniform, weapon skin, and hairstyle from your Customize closet. Fashion is a survival strategy.

  • Practice your shivering aim. A trembling crosshair is still a crosshair.

  • Learn to type hashtags with frostbitten fingers. Autocorrect is not your friend.

  • Do not steal clips. The snow sees everything, and so do the moderators.

  • Make your social media public. A private post is like a care package you never open.

  • Keep your nickname stable. Changing it is like changing your identity mid-blizzard—confusing for everyone, especially the reward delivery team.

So, as 2026's winter winds howl, remember the brave trainees of Vikendi. They explored, they captured, they uploaded, and they prayed to the RNG gods for G-COIN. The PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS team wished them good luck with surviving—and honestly, after reading the rules, they needed it. Whether you are a grizzled veteran or a fresh-faced trainee, the cold weather training remains a hilarious reminder that in PUBG, even a screenshot can be a survival strategy. Stay frosty, players. ❄️