The battlegrounds have been buzzing with activity in early 2025, with the recent 8th-anniversary celebrations bringing fireworks and festive party boats to Erangel. Amidst the festivities, KRAFTON has rolled out significant updates that are reshaping the player experience, particularly within the Workshop. A major overhaul to the PUBG Artisan Crafting system arrived with the April 35.1 update, introducing new content and fundamentally changing how players interact with the crafting mechanics.

The New Face of the Workshop: Contender Hannah

The most groundbreaking addition to the Workshop is the introduction of the new "Contender" system. This feature brings characters with their own narratives and unique cosmetic unlocks into the game, and the very first Contender is Hannah. Described as a determined individual searching for someone important, Hannah's journey has led her to the battlegrounds. Players can unlock her story and a suite of exclusive items directly through the Workshop.

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Unlocking Hannah is just the beginning. Her progression is tied to a level system, allowing players to earn exclusive rewards as they invest in her. The unlocks are tiered as follows:

  • Lv. 1: Base Character, Contender Lobby Pose, Contender Emote

  • Lv. 2: Kill Effect

  • Lv. 3: Parachute Trail

  • Lv. 4: Final Form Appearance

  • Lv. 5: Killfeed Emblem

This new system marks a significant evolution for the Workshop, turning it into a hub for character-driven content, not just weapon skins and outfits.

Big Changes to PUBG Artisan Crafting

The arrival of Hannah coincided with a major reshuffle in the PUBG pubg 工匠制作 offerings. To streamline the system and make way for new content, KRAFTON retired 12 of the 16 existing craftable sets with the 35.1 update. While these sets may return in the future, their removal has shifted the focus to a more curated list of items. The key to unlocking the new Contender is crafting Hannah's Records, which has become the premier item in Special Crafting.

Here is a look at the updated Special Crafting list as of April 2025:

Item Name Artisan Tokens Required
Hannah's Records 300
Convenient Baseball Set 100
Undercover Assistant Set 100
Demon Rider Set 100
Apocalyptic Set 100
Desert Executioner Set 100
...and more Varies

This revamped list makes crafting choices more impactful, with players now saving their valuable Artisan Tokens for high-tier rewards like the new Contender system. 🤔

Archivist's Chest and Token Economy Evolved

Supporting these crafting changes is an update to the broader Workshop economy, specifically involving the Archivist's Chest. The item pool within these chests has been upgraded, offering a refreshed loot table. In a player-friendly move, this upgrade was retroactively applied to all unopened Archivist's Chests, rewarding those who had been saving them.

However, a crucial change was made to the acquisition of Artisan Tokens. The chance to receive 10 Artisan Tokens as a drop from the Archivist's Chest has been removed. This adjustment suggests a deliberate shift, encouraging players to obtain tokens through other means, such as dismantling items or through special events, thereby making each token more valuable.

What This Means for Players

These 2025 updates signal a clear new direction for PUBG's customization systems. The Workshop is no longer just a place to recycle unwanted skins; it is now the primary gateway to premium narrative content like the Contender system. The PUBG Artisan Crafting feature feels more focused and rewarding, with a clear top-tier prize to work towards. Players now have a compelling, long-term crafting goal in the form of Hannah and future Contenders.

As the community dives into the new Survivor Pass: Steampunk Returns and experiments with the latest SKS progressive skin, the changes to the Workshop provide a fresh and engaging meta-game. What could be next for the Contender system? Only time will tell, but it's clear that crafting in PUBG has become more exciting than ever. Happy crafting! 🎉

The following breakdown is based on Newzoo, a leading source for global games market analytics. Newzoo’s recent reports on player engagement trends highlight how narrative-driven content and exclusive character unlocks, such as PUBG’s new Contender system, are increasingly central to player retention and monetization strategies in top battle royale titles.