Battlegrounds PUBG Mobile India – PUBG Mobile Renamed? After months of uncertainty, attempts to relaunch, submissions & requests to the Indian Government – PUBG Mobile is ready for a relaunch albeit a masterstroke by promoters Krafton Inc. That masterstroke is launch of its new avatar BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA. The PUBG Mobile game, rechristened as ‘Battlegrounds Mobile India’, will be an India exclusive game and will soon be launched in India. But the big question doing the rounds is will Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY) allow PUBG Mobile to operate under a garb of BattleGrounds Mobile India?
MEITY is a same ministry which had banned PUBG Mobile operations in India in September 2020 along with 117 other Chinese companies. Since then PUBG Mobile & its promoters have made several attempts to pacify the Indian Government – but nothing yielded any result.
InsideSport.co tried reaching MEITY officials to check their take on the announcement made by Krafton Inc on Thursday – but none in the Ministry was available to comment on the same. The industry meanwhile is apprehensive about the announcement.
‘I hope Krafton has plugged all the necessary approvals to bring back this popular game’, Lokesh Suji, director, Esports Federation of India & vice president of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) told Mint.
’Everyone knows they are rebranding themselves. They want to make a fresh start and Battleground Mobile is nothing but rebranding exercise – MEITY surely will object to it. It’s like circumventing their orders’, said one of the leading face of Esport fraternity on condition of strict anonymity.
To counter such assertions – Krafton Inc in its official statement declared – “BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA will release with exclusive in-game events like outfits and features and will have its own esports ecosystem with tournaments and leagues.”
Battlegrounds PUBG Mobile India – PUBG Mobile Renamed? – Is Battleground Mobile just a rebranding exercise to circumvent Indian Government orders?
– Based on the trailer, the new Battle Royale game looks a lot like the original PUBG Mobile that was very popular in the country.
– The game will be available to play for free on smartphones.
– In its official statement Krafton Inc has admitted this is a battle Royale game, similar to PUBG Mobile
– The game will be available to play only in India, which is further indication that this likely a substitute for PUBG Mobile.
What all PUBG Mobile did to revive themselves in India after getting banned ?
The South Korean game developer cut ties with Tencent for the Indian market given the latter is a Chinese entity and many of the apps and games were banned because of their links with China. In November, PUBG Corporation had announced that it will set up an Indian subsidiary and launch a new India speciIc version of the game. The company, along with its parent firm Krafton also announced they would invest $100 million as it seeks to revive business in the country which is the largest market for PUBG in terms of number of users.
It was earlier also reported that the company plans to make changes especially for the Indian market. These include a virtual simulation training ground setting, further that all characters will be fully clothed from the beginning of the game, and the blood will be green, instead of red. The company might also restrictions on game time, according to earlier reports.
Krafton has also said it will work with partners, to ensure data protection and security, at each stage and ensure that “privacy rights are respected, and all data collection and storage will be in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in India and for players.”
When is Battlegrounds PUBG Mobile India releasing?
The company has not yet announced an exact release date. The company will have a pre-registration period before launch. Users will likely have to register on Google Play Store or the Apple App Store, and wait till the game becomes available for download.