PUBG alert! Battleground Mobile India might get banned, here’s why

After the ban on PUBG last year, the developer of the game, Krafton, decided to roll out a separate version of the game for India with a new avatar and a new name: Battleground Mobile India. 

However, Krafton’s hopes of making a comeback may get crushed, as former and current parliamentarians in India have started calling for a blanket ban on the game. On Saturday (May 22), former Union Minister and current Arunachal Pradesh MLA Ninong Ering wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi, requesting a ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India. In his letter, he clearly specified that the upcoming game is “the relaunch of PUBG Mobile”.

Ering alleged that Krafton India has employed workers from Tencent, a Chinese technology firm that was the leading investor of PUBG Mobile India. Moreover, he pointed out that the terms and conditions of the Google Play Store listing of Battlegrounds Mobile India mention the term ‘PUBG Mobile’. 

Current Member of Parliament Abhishek Singhvi soon jumped on the bandwagon, alleging that Battlegrounds Mobile India’s release allows Tencent’s re-entry into the Indian gaming market, per a report by IGN India. 

Meanwhile, Ering didn’t stop here and called out on Krafton’s $$22.4 million investment in homegrown gaming firm Nodwin, saying that the matter is a security concern. 

If Prime Minister Modi or any of the two ministers - the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Electronics and IT - pay heed to the request of the politicians then Battlegrounds India could find itself fishing in troubled waters. 

As of now, Battleground Mobile India is yet to announce the launch date of the game. Krafton has only opened the pre-registration link for the gamers. The registration link opened on May 18, and many in the country are hoping that the company may launch the game in June 2021.