A mysterious Steam user has over 13,000 pairs of PUBG pants worth just 3 cents in his inventory, and players can't figure out whether it's hoarding or money laundering

PUBG
(Image credit: Krafton)

There's no shortage of combat pants in the color black in PUBG, it seems, but they all end up in the same place – one mysterious Steam user's inventory.

The unknown profile's impressive collection of combat pants was first noted on Reddit by a user hoping to figure out why somebody would hoard 13,092 pairs. "Came across a totally blank Steam profile with 13k of these $0.03 PUBG pants," writes the poster. "Anyone know what's going on here?" Attached to the thread is a screenshot of the Steam user's inventory – and it's truly a sight to behold if there ever was one.

Combat pants in black after combat pants in black, that's all the strange inventory shows – and what's more, they're not actually worth all that much on their own. One pair of the PUBG pants is just $0.03 on the Steam market currently, and while over 13,000 would net someone nearly $400 (not counting the cut that Valve would take), there's no telling why this person is holding on to so many right now.

Came across a totally blank Steam profile with 13k of these $0.03 PUBG pants. Anyone know what's going on here? from r/Steam

Commenters speculate that it could be anything from a money-making scheme to some sort of cash laundering business. "He will own them all and then he will sell them for millions," says one responder. Another questions whether it's an elaborate scam – and what kind, if it is: "Money laundering? Duping and scamming?" It's no surprise to see such theories, considering how viral games like this past summer's banana clicker have gone.

Some players create an entire economy around trading on the Steam markets, using it as a tried and true money-making endeavor. This rings especially true in countries where $0.03 can add up to something substantial quite quickly – not to mention how much certain games' communities, like that of Counter-Strike 2, rely on market sales. When it comes to the PUBG pants situation, it could truly be anything, but the replies cracking jokes about the Steam user's weird collection are my favorite.

"Artificial denim shortage," reads one such response. "He owns the digital Levi store," jests another commenter. There doesn't seem to be one correct answer regarding what the combat pants holder is using them for, however, and perhaps there won't ever be. According to the community market on Steam right now, though, pairs are still actively selling for $0.03 each – which means the mystery man hasn't managed to snag them all yet.

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Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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