PUBG: Battlegroundshas been one of the most popular battle royale games in the world over the nearly five years since its release. The massively popular shooter was one of the major games to start the battle royale craze alongside titles likeFortniteand boastedover 3 million concurrent playersat its peak in 2018 with a total count at over 75 million. Developer Krafton also made waves earlier this year when the game shifted to a free-to-play model. However, the game’s history within India has been tumultuous throughout its life.
WhilePUBG: Battlegroundshas seen huge success worldwide, Krafton has struggled to keep the game available in India. The Indian government has previously been critical ofPUBG: Battlegroundsfor reasons related to national security. India bannedPUBG Mobilefollowing heightened tensions between India and China in late 2020, due toPUBG Mobilebeing published by Chinese gaming juggernaut Tencent.PUBGwould return to the region with an India-specific version published by Krafton a few months later. Now, however,PUBGhas once again been banned in India.
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A recent report revealedBattlegrounds Mobile Indiahas been bannedby the Indian government reportedly citing “national security concerns” once again, due to Tencent’s partial ownership of Krafton. While the Indian government has yet to make a direct confirmation, players in India found as early as Thursday that the game was no longer available on either Android or iOS stores. The delisting was confirmed by Krafton with the studio reportedly “seeking clarification” into the reasoning behind the ban.
PUBG’s newest ban in India comes less than two years after the developer released its self-published India-exclusive version of the mobile game. Alongside the change in publishing, Krafton also made several other changes inPUBG’s return to the Indian market. The game would feature heavier censorship from players starting matches clothed to shifting the game’s aesthetic into a “virtual training ground” setting. Krafton had also made arrangements to shiftBattlegrounds Mobile India’s data to Microsoft Azure servers, further distancing itself from Tencent in the region.
PUBG Mobile’s India ban comes not long afterPUBG’s newest update brought plenty of new content to the game.PUBG’s Version 18.2 updatebrought with it the Deston map featuring a variety of locales and new mechanics, along with a new weapon in the O12 shotgun. Krafton also added new graphical options allowing players on next-gen consoles to improve the game’s performance and visuals.PUBG’s ban in India will come as a significant blow to Krafton after repeated attempts to keep the game available in the region.
PUBG: Battlegroundsis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and mobile devices.
