PUBG Mobile will be returning to India in an all new avatar, Battlegrounds Mobile India . The game was banned by the Indian Government claiming national security issues. However, it seems like Krafton will be taking no chances this time.
According to a report by IGN India, the developer has asked affiliated content creators to avoid terms like “PUBG” because it fears being banned all over again. Before the ban, PUBG Mobile was one of, if not the most popular mobile game in India. Streamers of this game became local celebrities with millions of followers. These streamers in turn became influencers and were often leveraged for marketing purposes.
The report talks of a Whatsapp message that was sent to popular Indian content creator, Gaming Aura, who in turn put it up as an Instagram story. “We would also suggest to not use PUBGM in your content anymore as it was banned and we don’t want to be banned again,” says a part of the message. “We would recommend using worlds like Battlegrounds Mobile India, Korean game, Indian version in your content.”
Krafton is not taking any chances this time; the message also stresses that Battlegrounds Mobile India is, “a Korean Game with an Indian version created just for India.” The original story has been taken down by Gaming Aura, but YouTube channel Controversial Gamer managed to get a screengrab of it. You can check it out from 3:56 onwards in the video.
Battlegrounds Mobile India is Krafton’s attempt to re-enter the Indian market, via a complete rebranding and a step away from China’s Tencent. While a security risk was the reason given by the government, India was also involved in a tense border dispute with China at the time.
One of the major changes that we may see in Battlegrounds Mobile India could be the incorporation of features from China’s own version of PUBG Mobile, Peacekeeper Elite. A lot of senior politicians in India were up in arms about the violent nature of the game, so it’s not far-fetched to think that the final release could involve green blood and a time-limit for underage players.