Rejoice PUBG Mobile fans as the game’s parent company has announced that it is making a return to the Indian market soon. The PUBG Corporation said that it will launch “PUBG Mobile India,” specifically curated for the Indian audience that will ensure data security for the players and adhere to the local regulations.
The company said in a statement, “Thanks to overwhelming community enthusiasm for PUBG esports in India, the company also plans to make investments by hosting India-exclusive esports events, which will feature the biggest tournaments, the largest prize pools, and the best tournament productions.”
Not only that, the company added that PUBG will invest $100 million in the country to “to cultivate the local video game, e-sports, entertainment, and IT industries”. The game will also receive some fresh updates to cater to local needs. These changes include a virtual simulation training ground setting, clothing on new characters, and green hit effects instead of red. There will also be a game-time limiter for younger players.
The gaming giant is also setting up a local office in India, the developers said. The company will hire 100 employees to enhance communications and services with players. Furthermore, PUBG Corporation will collaborate with local businesses to strengthen its gaming service.
The widely popular game was banned by the Indian government in September along with 117 other Chinese apps citing national security risks. However, even after the removal of the game from app stores, it was still playable for players who had the game installed on their devices. But later the company announced that it will terminate access for Indian players starting October 30.
PUBG Corporation, which is a subsidiary of Korean company Krafton Inc, had partnered with Tencent Holdings, which is a Chinese company, to distribute the battle-royale game in India. After the ban, PUBG terminated the partnership with Tencent Holdings to try to make a comeback in India. Krafton even made a partnership with Microsoft to host their multiplatform products on Microsoft’s Azure cloud, which was speculated to be a step towards bringing back the game in India.
To clear the grounds of security risks on which the game was banned in India, the company said, “privacy and security of Indian player data being a top priority for PUBG Corporation, the company will conduct regular audits and verifications on the storage systems holding Indian users’ personally identifiable information to reinforce security and ensure that their data is safely managed.”
As of now, PUBG Corporation has not announced the date for the launch of the new India-centered PUBG Mobile. It is also not clear if the Indian government will approve of this move by PUBG Corporation.
