It's all over.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds aka PUBG will no longer work in India starting Friday (October 30), the company announced the development in a Facebook post. This comes after PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite found a mention in an order issued by the Indian government in September that stated 118 apps had been banned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology over security threats from China.
Tencent Games that owns of the mobile game, said on Facebook that it "deeply regrets this outcome" and thanked PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite fans for their support in India. The company also added: "Protecting user data has always been a top priority and we have always complied with applicable data protection laws and regulations in India. All users' gameplay information is processed in a transparent manner as disclosed in our privacy policy."
The statement further highlights that Tencent is returning all rights to the developer of PUBG Mobile - PUBG Corporation which is a subsidiary of Krafton Game Union.
The massively popular multiplayer game saw a spike in the userbase in the ongoing pandemic. In fact, the fans combined with professional gamers constitute roughly 25 percent of PUBG Mobile's userbase in India.
The news they didn't expect to wake up to, gamers took to Twitter to bid an emotional farewell to a game that had been a companion for them for a long time.
#PUBGMOBILE During lockdown PUBG was a life savior .It was an emotion and reunion of long lost friends . This game has a special place in my heart . Though I am not “pro player” but I enjoyed each and every moment while I was playing it . A final bye to PUBG ❤️✨#PUBG pic.twitter.com/L0wsc2wtoR
— Nikhila A (@JustNikhila) October 29, 2020
#PUBGMOBILE You'll always be missed! Thanks for being much more than just a game❤ pic.twitter.com/R5YLQxfoG9
— Ronaldo Singh Bhati (@KisTianoRonaldo) October 29, 2020
#PUBGMOBILE my last crate opening. Got Glacier M416 pic.twitter.com/2kEThPfC8G
— Farhan (@Farhan59331811) October 29, 2020
#PUBGMOBILE will always be missed. See you soon.It's not just a game but emotion. And also the the companion to introverts. Don't think anything can replace it. Till then good bye.☹️ pic.twitter.com/mocYzBjxbf
— Khel Atma (@sportsssoul) October 29, 2020
PUBG IS NOT ONLY A GAME BUT ITS A EMOTION WE WILL MISS YOU GOOD BYE @PUBGMOBILE #PUBGMOBILE pic.twitter.com/RZ34BaQDhR
— Shubham Negi (@shubhamnegi07) October 29, 2020
#PUBGMOBILE will always be missedIt was not just a game but emotion! And also the companion to introverts.I don't think anything can ever replace it☹️ pic.twitter.com/h9PjwjW2Eo
— Sanghi Naari (@sanghi__naari) October 29, 2020
While others resorted to memes to express their feelings.
PUBG MOBILE global version will stop working on 30th October in India.#PUBGMOBILE #PUBGMOBILEINDIA #Pubg Pubg players Right now : pic.twitter.com/I0kB3JkcUj
— Brajesh (@agashe_brajesh) October 29, 2020
** #PUBGMOBILE will terminate servers from INDIA **Meanwhile FAUG game: pic.twitter.com/dyRIoC51ap
— ΛＭΛＮ (@DatingWithBooks) October 29, 2020
#PUBGMOBILEYouTube Streamers : pic.twitter.com/3ZpdPF9YM0
— Shauzab (@shauzab_abbas) October 29, 2020
#PUBGMOBILE to end service in India by 30thPubg players:- pic.twitter.com/D99PvILsa0
— Kritika (@chal_chal_away) October 30, 2020
Meanwhile my brother and his friends , when asked "abb kya karoge purey din?" #PUBGMOBILE pic.twitter.com/Gf3bXGZBTA
— suraj tiwari (@surajti54962975) October 30, 2020
Indian government to #PUBGMOBILE pic.twitter.com/IxWQifXJnF
— Anurag (@heyy_ak) October 30, 2020
#PUBGMOBILE TO END SERVICES IN INDIA FROM OCT 30.People who reached Conqueror with 8 KD and spend Lacks : It's Okay Man.Meanwhile me, who reached diamond 4 with 2.43 KD and bought RP playing Bonus Challenge : pic.twitter.com/BCa8WuqURv
— अमर गौतम (@amargautam909) October 29, 2020
#PUBGMOBILE to end service in India by 30thGamers: pic.twitter.com/FSCszFsk2Y
— SDLOH (@iamjitusrivas) October 29, 2020
The announcement from the company comes days after a post on LinkedIn by PUBG Mobile's developer PUBG Corp that triggered speculation about the battle royale-style games' likely return in India.