Tencent’s PUBG Mobile passes US$3.5 billion in accumulated player revenue despite India ban

Tencent Holdings’ battle royale game PUBG Mobile broke through the US$3.5 billion revenue mark last month, despite India’s recent move to ban the game, according to a new report.

App analytics firm Sensor Tower reported that PUBG Mobile’s revenue exceeded US$3.5 billion in accumulated player spending in the last week of August. Its latest report shows that the title grossed US$221 million in August, making it the most lucrative mobile game in the world that month. The title saw its best month in March when it generated US$270 million in revenue.

The success of PUBG Mobile reflects the enduring appeal of the title and dominance of Tencent – and Chinese companies in general – in mobile gaming. The game‘s continued success comes despite being caught up in the ongoing China-India border dispute, which resulted in the game being banned by the Indian government this month along with several other titles.

“Revenue looks set to remain strong, despite a ban in India,” Craig Chapple, Sensor Tower’s mobile insights strategist, wrote in a report. “Even though the game has attracted an enormous player base [in India], the country only accounts for 1.2 per cent of player spending globally.”

“The title has fought off fierce rivals in the mobile battle royale space to be the clear leader in the genre, and has benefited from global lockdowns during the pandemic, while also maintaining the high levels of player spending throughout the year,” Chapple added.

India has in recent months banned 177 Chinese apps including PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite over national security and data privacy concerns, a move analysts consider to be India’s retaliation against China over recent border disputes. However, Tencent is trying to get the game back in India by assigning rights to publish the game to Seoul-based PUBG Corp.