PUBG to get a new mobile game for India as access to Tencent’s version is restricted by a ban on Chinese apps
- PUBG Corp announced that it is launching PUBG Mobile India to adhere to the country’s national security rules
- PUBG Mobile was banned in the South Asian country earlier this year when it made the list of 118 Chinese apps said to threaten national security
PUBG Corp, a subsidiary of a South Korean company, said on Thursday it will launch a new PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) mobile game in India after the previous incarnation from a Chinese publisher fell foul of national security rules.
Millions of people spent hours at a time playing PUBG mobile in India, the app’s biggest market by users which according to analytics firm SensorTower, accounts for 29 per cent of its total downloads.
The announcement of the new game, PUBG Mobile India, came two months after New Delhi banned 118 Chinese-origin mobile apps following a months-long border stand-off between the nuclear-armed rivals.
The previous PUBG mobile, published by Tencent Holdings, was covered by the ban, which the government said was needed to protect national security as the apps collected and shared users’ data.
PUBG Corp has since taken over all publishing rights from Tencent in India.
“With 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,” the company said on Thursday.
