Are PBNs still working or It works based on how they're used?

PBNs aren't dead, but low-effort spam is. If you treat each network site like a real asset with natural content, it still moves the needle.

Having real PBN will always be a prime technique in SEO

Placing backlinks in the right context and ensuring that the content is closely related or within the same niche makes your link-building strategy look much more natural. Using PBNs is also risky, but when done properly, they can still be quite effective.