The wildly popular Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds mobile game is coming back to India.
PUBG Corporation announced Thursday it will release PUBG Mobile India, a modified version of the game that was banned two months ago due to its links to the Chinese publisher Tencent.
The game had about 50 million users in India before authorities initiated the ban as part of the government’s broader anti-China stance, citing concerns about data security and user privacy violations.
In order to distance the title from China, PUBG Corp. took over the publishing rights from Tencent.
Developers also modified the game to include more clothing and less bloodshed. They also added time limits for younger players.
“Various aspects of the game will be customized for Indian gamers, such as the game now being set in a virtual simulation training ground, new characters automatically starting clothed, and green hit effects (instead of red splatter) to reflect the virtual nature of the game,” the company said in a news release. “More importantly, the company will include a feature that places restrictions on game time to promote healthy gameplay habits for younger players.”
PUBG Corp. also announced plans, with its parent company KRAFTON Inc., to invest more than $100 million in India to cultivate the local video game, esports, entertainment and information technology. Plans include “hosting India-exclusive esports events, which will feature the biggest tournaments, the largest prize pools, and the best tournament productions,” per the release.
PUBG Corp. said it will create an Indian subsidiary with more than 100 employees.
A launch date for PUBG Mobile India will be announced at a later date.
--Field Level Media