There is some good news for PUBG Mobile fans in India. The game could be re-released in the near future but under a different name. Krafton, a South Korean video game developer, has revealed a new game named ‘Battlegrounds Mobile India’ for the Indian market. According to the trailer, the latest battle royale game resembles the original PUBG Mobile, which was very common in the country before it was banned last September.
PUBG, or PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, is a popular online multiplayer battle royale game in India and other countries. PUBG Corporation, a subsidiary of South Korean video game company Krafton, produced and released the game, which is now also available on smartphones.
Krafton stated in a press release that “BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA will release with exclusive in-game activities such as outfits and features, as well as its own esports ecosystem with tournaments and leagues.” The game will be free to download and play on smartphones. This is a battle royale game in the vein of PUBG Mobile.
Following the ban, many gamers and esports organizations have migrated to alternative titles such as Sea’s Garena Free Fire, Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty: Mobile, and SuperCell’s Clash of Clans, requiring Krafton to work hard to make up lost ground in the esports segment, that PUBG pioneered in India. According to the company, there will be a pre-registration period before the launch. The game will be available only in India, indicating that it is most likely a replacement for PUBG Mobile.
The video game developer also intends to build an esports community and will regularly release in-game content. At launch, the company intends to begin with a series of India-specific in-game events, the specifics of which will be revealed later. It was previously reported last year that Krafton intends to reintroduce PUBG Mobile to India, though reports suggested that government approval would be needed. The South Korean game developer had also severed relations with Tencent for the Indian market, owing to the latter’s status as a Chinese entity, and many of the apps and games had been banned due to their ties to China.
It has also been stated that the company intends to make changes, especially for the Indian market. These include a virtual training ground environment, as well as the fact that all players will be fully dressed from the start of the game, and the blood will be green rather than red. According to previous studies, the company can also impose time limits on gameplay.
Krafton has also stated that it will collaborate with partners to ensure data protection and security at every level, as well as that “privacy rights, are respected, and all data processing and storage will be in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in India and for players.” It is unclear who will be the process’s collaborators.
The company has not yet specified a specific release date. Furthermore, a pre-registration connection will be made available before the game is made available to the general public. Users would most likely have to register on the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store before the game is available for download.
