PUBG Mobile developers have announced that they will launch a new game called PUBG Mobile India to cater to Indian gamers. PUBG Mobile was banned in September by the Indian government and around the same time PUBG Corporation had announced that it would no longer authorize the PUBG Mobile franchise to Shenzhen-based Tencent Games in India. While the team had announced that it would be canceling access for users in India as of October 30, the game can still be played by multiple people who had it installed on their Android and iOS devices.
To update: On Saturday, PUBG Mobile India posted the first trailer for the game on YouTube. However, the teaser doesn’t contain any more information, it just says that the game is coming soon.
PUBG Corporation has announced that it is preparing to launch a new game called PUBG Mobile India which has been “created specifically for the Indian market”. The new game will maximize data security for its players and comply with local regulations, according to the announcement. PUBG Corporation states that there will be regular audits and verifications of the storage systems that store the personal information of Indian users to ensure that the data is kept secure.
The developers have also shared that they will improve the content of the game and also customize it to “reflect local needs.” These changes include a virtual simulation training ground setup, clothing for new characters, and green impact effects instead of red. It will also add a feature to restrict playtime for younger players.
Additionally, PUBG Corporation plans to establish a local office where it will hire over 100 employees to improve communications and services with players. “In addition to establishing a local office, the company will seek to actively collaborate and leverage local businesses to strengthen its gaming service,” the developers added.
Lastly, PUBG Corporation and parent company Krafton plan to make investments of $ 100 million (approximately Rs. 746 million rupees) in India to “cultivate the local video game, esports, entertainment and IT industry.” So far, the team hasn’t shared a release date for PUBG Mobile India.
PUBG Mobile was banned in India along with PUBG Mobile Lite, and 116 other apps in early September by the Indian government and the games were subsequently removed from the Play Store and App Store in the country. However, PUBG Mobile was still playable for people who already had it installed. Then on October 29, the PUBG Mobile team shared a post on Facebook stating that as of October 30, “Tencent Games will terminate all service and access for users in India to PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik and PUBG MOBILE Lite (together, “PUBG Mobile”) On October 30, 2020. The rights to publish PUBG MOBILE in India will be returned to the owner of the intellectual property of PUBG ”.
But, the game can still be played by multiple users. However, some players on Android and iOS devices have reported server connection issues preventing them from entering the game.
Indian fans of the game were greatly disappointed by the news of the ban, whether they were casual gamers who spent an hour a day playing games or streamers who raced with it. As we discovered in our conversations with Indian streamers, there were instances where they reported lost revenue and views. In some cases, their fans demanded that they return to PUBG Mobile instead of playing other games. But there were also cases where the audience for some streamers increased due to other games like Call of Duty: Mobile.
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