PUBG mobile was among the 117 apps banned by the government of India in September 2020, citing security concerns due to the apps having a Chinese origin. While the netizens have pacified themselves with the ban of other apps, anticipating for a PUBG 2.0 has been on the charts ever since then.
While there has been a lot of air around the entire idea of coming up with an Indian version of PUBG, have a look at what went down throughout the past months
Ever since the ban was imposed, the developers have tried to bring the game back to Indian market. They have tried to make various tweaks like changing the name to PUBG mobile India, changing the colour of blood and more.
There have been several attempts from Krafton and its subsidiary to bring back PUBG mobile to India. Back in November, the developers even released a teaser claiming the game will return back to Indian very soon.
The PUBG corporation had even announced the take over of PUBG mobile by Tencent games in India. At the time, they also said to have been making several changes to cater to the local needs.While the corporation tried it’s best to bridge the gap, there has been no updates on PUBG mobile coming back to India anytime soon.
Has FAUG Been Up To The Mark?
There have been a lot of trials to come up with the best Indian version of the popularly acclaimed app PUBG. While none of the versions seemed to be tangible with the expectations of the fans, FAUG had created a lot of buzz with its flabbergasted launch. Akshay Kumar – the khiladi himself brought fame to India’s most awaited mobile action game by launching its teaser.
While the app claimed to be much more than a rival to the infamous banned app PUBG, it didn’t seem to have flattered the fans after its release on the 72nd Republic day.
While FAUG has its own element of portraying the life of an Indian soldier, the gaming sleuths didn’t find it catchy, which led to a drop in the ratings of the app to 3.3 and thus redirecting the entire beef to square one.
Did This Month Bring In Good News For The Fans?
While the fans of the app have been hanging in there anticipating for the relaunch, Krafton, the Korean company that has taken over the PUBG mobile game rights after the ban, gave out a heads up earlier this month claiming to have been preparing for the launch of an Indian version of PUBG.
The new game was recently announced in other markets and is up for pre-registration on Google Play and App Store for Android and iOS respectively.
“We are waiting for Indian government’s consideration and decision on our next plan with PUBG in the region” , quoted a Krafton communications representative.
What Has Been The Government’s Response?
The entire mystery around PUBG returning back caved in due to lack of open discussion amongst the Government and Krafton. While the two have finally started addressing the issue 6 months post ban, the return of the app seems more unlikely than ever.
Earlier last week, the minister for information broadcasting said that his ministry has decided to form a gaming center to teach courses related to VFX. While the courses are all set to commence from this year, PUBG is more likely to not return back.
He said that ” Prime minister Narendra Modi is extremely passionate about preserving and perpetuating Indian values and culture to the youth via modern technology being out to its optimum usage.
He also claimed that the Modi government wants to lead the nation into creating new games that promote Indian cultural ethos. Unlike PUBG which was addictive, explicit and violent” thus putting an end to the hankering of millions of fans.
