PUBG: Battlegrounds has been one of the most popular battle royale games in the world for nearly five years since its release. The hugely popular shooter was one of the major games that started the battle royale craze alongside titles like Fortnite and boasted over 3 million concurrent players at its peak in 2018 with a total of over 75 million. Developer Krafton also made waves earlier this year when the game switched to a free-to-play model. However, the history of the game in India was turbulent throughout its lifetime. GAMERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY While PUBG: Battlegrounds was a huge success worldwide, Krafton struggled to keep the game available in India. The Indian government has previously criticized PUBG: Battlegrounds for reasons related to national security. India banned PUBG Mobile following heightened tensions between India and China in late 2020 due to the publication of PUBG Mobile by Chinese gaming company Tencent. PUBG would return to the region with an India-specific version published by Krafton a few months later. Now, however, PUBG has once again been banned in India. RELATED: PUBG Drops Tencent Partnership in India A recent report revealed that Battlegrounds Mobile India has been banned by 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 an immediate confirmation, players in India discovered as early as Thursday that the game was no longer available on Android or iOS stores. The deletion was confirmed by Krafton with the studio reportedly “seeking clarification” on the reasoning behind the ban. The latest ban on PUBG in India comes less than two years after the developer released the India-exclusive version of the mobile game. Apart from the change in versions, Krafton has also made several other changes in the return of PUBG to the Indian market. The game would feature heavier censorship from players starting matches dressed up to shifting the game’s aesthetic to a “virtual training ground” environment. Krafton had also arranged to transfer Battlegrounds Mobile India data to Microsoft Azure servers, further distancing Tencent in the region. The ban on PUBG Mobile in India comes shortly after the latest PUBG update that brought plenty of new content to the game. PUBG’s version 18.2 update brought with it the Deston map with a variety of locales and new mechanics, along with a new weapon in the O12 weapon. Krafton also added new graphics options that allow players on next-gen consoles to improve the game’s performance and graphics. Banning PUBG in India will be a major blow to Krafton after repeated attempts to keep the game available in the region. PUBG: Battlegrounds is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and mobile devices. MORE: PUBG: 5 Deston Map Tips Source: Reuters, GamesIndustry.biz
