PUBG Mobile, the famous Battle Royale game, was banned in September for its ties to China, the game was banned by the Indian government for security and privacy reasons.
The growth of PUBGM was rapid and it reached rural India in no time, everyone who had a mobile phone knew someone who played PUBG. It continued to grow thanks to Internet penetration and mobile accessibility.
The game was on its pan when it was banned, Orange Rock had just finished second in an international tournament: the PUBG Mobile World League. The teams had reached a point where they wanted to win the next PMPL and PMCO, but the ban came.
Games that replaced PUBG during ban
The 2 biggest competitive games that took over the PUBG void were COD Mobile and Free Fire. These FPS games that also have the Battle Royale mode were destined to become popular after the ban.
Free Fire hosted the Free Fire India Championship 2020 with a jackpot prize of 50 lakhs, this move made many players jump into the Free Fire. Many gamers find the game mechanics very similar to PUBG.
Growth of other games
But throughout the course, as things worked out, we saw players lean more towards COD Mobile. Multiplayer tournaments on platforms such as Gaming Monk and E-war took off in popularity, as players adapted to CODM’s faster-paced multiplayer rounds mode. A survey by CMR India report shows that 67% of Pubg mobile gamers have now switched to Call of Duty Mobile. Free Fire, on the other hand, grew 54%.
But a large part of the PUBG fanbase stayed true to the game. Players found ways to get around all the restrictions to play the game one way or another.
Downloading different versions of the game, downloading and updating via APK files, and then using VPN to play games had become a norm among PUBG players. Competitive scrims around the game have continued as casuals also got back to playing PUBG after trying other games.
Another casual game that left a mark during the 2-month ban was Among Us. The game was played on all platforms and by all age groups, although it is not a competitive game, players sought out this game to pass the time during the PUBG ban.
PUBG mobile slid to third place as the highest-earning game worldwide in October, but this is unlikely to be directly the impact of the ban.
Will PUBG return to its former glory?
Yes, the game has a very loyal fan base who have been playing it anyway even during ban. Although some players who have gained ground in other games like CODM and Free Fire will likely continue to play.
PUBG Corp. has already announced plans to host PUBGM esports league in India. The official press report stated that “That actively supports to establish itself as the largest esports event in India in all aspects, including participating teams, prize money and size of competition. “
They also revealed that they will invest more than $ 100 million in partnership with Krafton and promote the establishment of a branch in India. They also said they would hire more than 100 employees with experience in different areas, including: game development, business, esports, and more.
With PUBG Corp’s upcoming plans, we could see that the game will even surpass its former glory.
