The FAU-G mobile game finally appeared on the Google Play store. The game has yet to be released, but after multiple delays and release date changes, it has now been put on the Google Play store for pre-registration. It appears that developers are restricting themselves to Android, for now, to release the new mobile game, as the pre-registrations have yet to appear in the Apple app store. The list also details the story a bit more than its teaser had revealed. FAU-G, which is expected to take on PUBG Mobile India, was announced just two days after PUBG was banned along with 117 other Chinese apps in September. But more than an Indian alternative to PUBG, FAU-G is being heavily promoted as a patriotic game that highlights the contribution of the military.
FAU-G, short for Fearless and United Guards, is now available on the Google Play store for pre-registration. Users who have previously registered will receive an automatic notification informing them that the game is available for download. Eligible devices will have the game downloaded and installed automatically. The download size and other details about the version have yet to be revealed. But the list offers a brief overview of the story and the gameplay.
As the teaser had revealed, the game was expected to have a level that emulates the Galwan Valley clashes between the Indian and Chinese armies along the Royal Line of Control (LAC). But the description of the game now suggests that the entire game will focus on the Indian soldiers “high on the peaks of the northern border of India.” The characters will be called FAU-G commandos, an elite group of Indian soldiers who patrol the dangerous territory.
FAU-G is being developed by Bengaluru-based nCore Games, in collaboration with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. The first trailer was released on October 25. The game was reportedly scheduled to launch in the same month, but it had a snag. The developers then announced a release in November that put it on a collision course with the highly anticipated PUBG Mobile India, a slightly adapted version of PUBG announced for the Indian market. Both games would end up facing delays for various reasons. And both have announced that their games are coming soon.
In an unofficial indication of which game is most likely to be on top, PUBG Mobile India’s fan base far exceeds that of FAU-G on Tap Tap, a popular mobile gaming community platform.
While PUBG Corporation hoped to reduce tensions between India and China to secure the necessary approvals for a comeback, FAU-G has relied on anti-China sentiment since its first teaser. The advance appears to emulate the Galwan Valley skirmishes between India and China along the Royal Line of Control (LAC) that claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers and caused an unknown number of Chinese casualties. It even seems to use fighting mechanisms to portray the violent episode more realistically, the worst on the India-China border since 1967, which became a high point in the relations of the two neighbors.
FAU-G also aims to harness the sentiment of “atma nirbhar Bharat” (Self-sufficient India), a phrase popularized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. nCore Games has said that 20 percent of the net proceeds generated by the game will be donated to Bharat Ke Veer, a trust created by the government for the families of soldiers who die in the line of duty.
Should the government explain why Chinese apps were banned? We talked about this on Orbital, our weekly tech podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.
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