Background
The love of many Indians, the battle royale video game PUBG was banned latelast year citing security reasons. The game has Chinese ownership and users’data may be stored and processed in China.
Thus, the Indian government thought it better to ban the appwith the privacy policy and data handling at the time.
Aftermath to the ban
When the ban was initiated, there was a hue and cry amongthe lovers of the game. Also, alternative games on similar theme spring up onthe app stores.
Names like Fortnite, Free Fire and FAU-G are known to all playersof battle royale format.
Further, those who wanted PUBG only began to play usinginternational versions of the game.
Hope never dies
Still, the hope that India will have its own officialversion of PUBG never died among the fans and game users are looking up to thegovernment and the game developers to sort out their issues.
Some good news?
Krafton is the company having a controlling stake in PUBG.
During the India Gaming Conference 2021, Sean Hyunil Sohn,Head of Corporate Development at Krafton said, “I cannot tell the timing oranything because we don’t know yet.”
Sean Hyunil Sohn continued, “But what I can tell you is, wecare about the Indian market greatly, and also that’s how I get to know you andget to know friends in the Indian gaming industry now. So definitely, we willwork hard to make it happen.”
So, pre-registrations?
No, the company is clear that firstly they want to getthemselves reinstated in the Indian marketplace.
Pre-registrations or latest updates to the video game arenot an issue for the company, getting approved is.
Thus, to be clear, the latest iteration of PUBG, PUBG: NewState will not be offered in India.
An India-specific version, and indefinite waiting...
Hints were given that indicate that for the Indian users, a “newPUBG app specifically developed and serviced for India” will be made. Thiscould be to fulfil the safety norms of the Indian authorities so that Indianscan be protected data crimes.
In this regard a Krafton official said, “With Krafton doingeverything it can to prepare for the launch of a new PUBG app specificallydeveloped and serviced for India, it has decided not to includepre-registration for PUBG: New State in India.”
It will be comforting to fans of the game that the companyis burning midnight oil to get itself back in the Indian app stores.