In September 2020, the Indian government banned several Chinese mobile applications, including PUBG Mobile, citing national security concerns. This decision came as a major blow to the game’s Indian community, as PUBG Mobile had become one of the most popular mobile games in the country, with millions of active players.
Since then, the Indian gaming community has been eagerly waiting for the game’s return. In November 2020, PUBG Corporation, the South Korean video game company that owns PUBG Mobile, announced that it was ending its partnership with Chinese tech giant Tencent in India and taking over the game’s publishing rights in the country. The company also promised to launch a new version of the game specifically for the Indian market, called “PUBG Mobile India.”
However, PUBG Corporation faced several hurdles in getting the game re-approved for release in India. In January 2021, the Indian government announced that it would not grant permission for the game’s relaunch unless it could ensure that user data would not be compromised. The government’s concerns were understandable, given that the game was developed by a Chinese company and had been accused of collecting sensitive user data in the past.
In response, PUBG Corporation made several changes to the game’s data management practices, including severing all ties with Tencent and partnering with Microsoft Azure to store user data on servers located in India. The company also promised to implement additional security features to prevent data breaches and ensure user privacy.
Despite these efforts, PUBG Mobile India has still not been granted permission to launch in India. The company has not provided any updates on the status of the game’s approval process, and there has been no official announcement from the Indian government regarding the lifting of the ban.
In the meantime, Indian gamers have turned to alternative games, such as Garena Free Fire and Call of Duty Mobile, to fill the void left by PUBG Mobile’s absence. These games have seen a surge in popularity in India since the ban, with many former PUBG Mobile players transitioning to these games.
Overall, the future of PUBG Mobile in India remains uncertain. While the game’s developers have made significant efforts to address the government’s concerns, it is unclear whether these measures will be sufficient to secure the game’s approval for release in the country. Nevertheless, the Indian gaming community remains hopeful that PUBG Mobile will eventually make its return to India and eagerly awaits any news on the matter.
