Earlier this month, PUBG Mobile and 117 more Chinese applications were banned in India by the government quoting “security reasons.” The Indian government had also banned 59 other Chinese applications previously, including TikTok.
With the loss of a considerable market share like India, PUBG Corp’s user base decreased drastically, and hence, the brand’s stocks also took a massive dip by two percent. PUBG Mobile had been one of the most popular games before the ban, and ever since the ban, it lost $34 billion in the market value.
PUBG users in India could still access Korean and some other versions of the banned game from their application stores, given that the ban is relatively recent and has not been executed fully yet. Users could also use the desktop version of the game since it was not included in the ban.
But according to recent reports coming from Deccan Herald, the ban may not last long, and PUBG Mobile might be on its way back to the country.
PUBG’s comeback in India
PUBG Corporation has released a press statement over the recent ban of the game in India. The company said that they fully understand the concerns of the Indian government. Hence, PUBG Corporation has decided to terminate the license of the Chinese firm Tencent Games to operate PUBG Mobile in the country.
PUBG Mobile is the mobile version of the game initially developed by PUBG Corporation, a South Korean Gaming company. PUBG Corporation had been taking help from Tencent Games to operate its mobile version.
Future of PUBG Mobile
Tencent Games is a Chinese gaming corporation that holds a ten percent stake in PUBG Corporation and had the license to operate PUBG in several countries, including India. The future of Tencent games concerning PUBG Corporation is uncertain as of now.
“PUBG Corporation is committed to providing its unique battle royale experience to a global audience and hopes to continue engaging with its passionate player base in India. Further updates will be provided at a later date when available,” the company said in their official statement. The company also shared that with regards to the regular content updates, they are exploring many unique ways to come up with a product for their Indian users and gamers, including community events and e-sports.
Furthermore, the brand mentioned that they would take charge of the regulations by the Indian government, and all the user data will be secured and stored.
The Indian government is yet to respond to the latest developments made by PUBG Corporation.
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