During our time at Gamescom 2025, we got the opportunity to speak to Rick Li, the producer behind PUBG Mobile. Given the game's smash hit success in recent years, we had no shortage of questions for the producer, but given the emphasis on user-generated content following the introduction of the World of Wonder game mode back in March 2023, we thought that was a pretty good place to start.
We asked Li about the possibility of big-name IPs, such as Transformers and Assassin's Creed, getting the UGC treatment. Li told us, "How we really look at it is that from the regular update cadence, we put in a lot of effort in introducing new components, playable devices, and modules for our creators to use so that they can continually improve on their maps," before continuing.
"But specific to the crossovers and IP collaborations, the reality is it is determined specifically for each IP and how we negotiate with the licenser, but it is our objective to bring in as many IP collaborations into World of Wonder as we can so that our creators can use that to continue to output new and exciting trending content for the World of Wonder community."
It makes sense that the producer wants PUBG Mobile's creative mode, World of Wonder, to receive all the same crossover goodness as the Battle Royale mode. Unfortunately for Li and the millions of PUBG Mobile fans, the ball is in the court of the IP owners, and it also makes sense that some might not want to allow users to do what they want with their intellectual property. I've spent enough time on the internet to understand why that might be a problem. Still, if the game mode continues to grow in popularity, there's hope that it might get some more crossover love in the future, at least if Li gets his way.
That's just one excerpt from our conversation with PUBG Mobile's producer, Rick Li, so be sure to keep an eye out for the full interview. In the meantime, be sure to check out our chat with Resident Evil: Survival Unit's Shinji Hashimoto for another fascinating insight into the world of game development. Or, for all the latest in the world of mobile and handheld gaming, sign up to the new Pocket Tactics Discord channel.