PUBG Mobile coming back to India, your common questions answered

PUBG Mobile is finally coming back to India in an all-new avatar, as revealed by PUBG Corporation. The future of the popular battle royale game was hanging in the balance ever since the game was banned by the Indian government over security and privacy reasons on September 2. PUBG Corp cut ties with publisher Tencent following the ban of the game in the country with one of its largest player bases. 

If you have been following the return of PUBG Mobile in India, there’s still a lot that has not been revealed by the company. The website of the game recently went live as well along with a teaser released across social media channels. Here, we have compiled a list of some common questions that PUBG Mobile fans have been concerned about.

How is PUBG Mobile coming back to India?

By the end of October, Tencent terminated its services for PUBG Mobile in India and subsequently, Krafton Inc, the parent company of PUBG Corp announced a partnership with Microsoft for its cloud service Azure. Following this announcement, PUBG Corp revealed its India plans that include releasing a new version of the game dubbed as PUBG Mobile India with in-game content specific to the India n market. 

PUBG Corp has also announced that it is creating an Indian subsidiary and plans to invest over $100 million to boost esports and game development in India. PUBG Mobile players in the country have been waiting for the game to relaunch in India and now it's just a matter of when the game is officially available for download.

When is PUBG Mobile releasing in India?

The official statement from PUBG Corp says that “more information on the launch of PUBG MOBILE INDIA will be released at a later date.” The company has not revealed an exact date for the launch of PUBG Mobile India however, previous rumours and speculations have pegged the launch date from a few weeks to the end of 2020.

A teaser for PUBG Mobile was also released across the social media platforms and so it is expected the developers are planning to release the game as soon as possible.

How different is PUBG Mobile India from the regular version?

PUBG Corp has revealed that the special version of the game is set to feature customized content including virtual simulation training ground, clothed characters, green hit effects and more. The game will also include restriction settings on game time in order to instil healthy gameplay habits for young PUBG Mobile players in India.

Will your existing PUBG Mobile data be transferred to the Indian version?

There have been several doubts over the existing PUBG Mobile player data and whether it will be transferred to the Indian version of the game. While there is no official word yet in this regard, however, several players have reportedly been already migrated to the new game. This hints at the likelihood of existing PUBG Mobile player data including achievements, purchases and rewards being safe and fans of the game won’t have to start from scratch when the Indian version launches.

Has the Indian government lifted the ban on PUBG Mobile?

There is no official word from the Indian government regarding the lifting of the ban on PUBG Mobile in India. According to a report, government sources have indicated that unless PUBG Corp. addresses the security and privacy concerns of the Indian government, “it will be difficult to grant any relaxation” to the popular battle royale game.

Is PUBG Mobile India being distributed by Chinese entities?

Soon after the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile in India, PUBG Corp decided to cut ties with Tencent and cancel the license that allows Tencent to run PUBG Mobile in India. Currently, the rights to publish the game in India is with PUBG Corp.

Is PUBG Mobile Lite India being released as well?

While the official press release revealed how the developers aim to revive PUBG Mobile in India, it skipped on PUBG Mobile Lite relaunch. There was no mention of PUBG Mobile Lite being re-released in India following in the footsteps of the popular battle royale title. Having said that, we believe that the PUBG Mobile Lite will receive the same treatment as the upcoming Indian version of the game. 

What are the new features to expect from PUBG Mobile India?

PUBG Mobile will be re-launched as PUBG Mobile India and is set to feature customized content including virtual simulation training ground, clothed characters, green hit effects and more. It will also include restriction settings on game time in order to instil healthy gameplay habits for young PUBG Mobile players in India.

What platforms will be supported by PUBG Mobile India on launch?

PUBG Mobile is expected to be released on Android and iOS and will be available to download from the Play Store and App Store respectively.

What alternative games can I play till PUBG Mobile India launches?

While PUBG Mobile fans swear by the game’s mechanisms and the experience, there hasn’t been a game as popular as PUBG Mobile in India. PUBG Mobile remains one of the most popular battle royale games in India with over 50 million active players and many other games have been trying to get the kind of spotlight ever since the game’s exit from India. Some other games you should try include, Call of Duty: Mobile, Fortnite and Free Fire, to name a few.

Will I be able to play against players in other countries?

In all likelihood, when PUBG Mobile relaunches, it is expected to have its own designated servers for India. With the latest PUBG Mobile Season 16 release, players will not be able to switch servers and the feature has been moved to the System settings menu. Moreover, once a player changes the server to another region, they will only be able to change it again after 60 days.

Will there be official tournaments organised by PUBG Mobile?

In its announcement for India, PUBG Corp revealed that it is also preparing to host India-exclusive esports events and tournaments with massive prize pools once the game launches in India.

Will I be able to stream PUBG Mobile India when it launches again?

Yes, PUBG Mobile India is expected to feature some cosmetic changes while the other features of the game will largely remain the same. Players will be able to stream the game in India just like any other game once it launches.

I have downloaded an APK, and I am playing PUBG Mobile. How will this change when the game finally launches?

PUBG’s parent company Krafton Inc. has announced that it would be working with Microsoft’s Azure platform. With this, the company hopes to ensure that storage of personally identifiable information of its players follows appropriate requirements in the territories where Krafton and its subsidiaries operate gaming services.

Will I be able to play the new version of PUBG Mobile on PC?

A lot of the players also use emulator clients to play PUBG Mobile on PC. However, it is currently unknown whether the developers will release a PC client for the PUBG Mobile India once it is released.

Can I preregister for the game on TapTap?

The official statement from PUBG Corp. still says that “More information on the launch of PUBG MOBILE INDIA will be released at a later date.” This means that the company has not initiated any pre-registration links for the game on Play Store or the App Store.

The game is expected to hit official channels soon, and we would recommend our readers to wait for the game’s appearance on either the Play Store or App Store when it launches in India.

How do I know which version of PUBG Mobile is the correct and real one?

Whenever PUBG Mobile India is officially released, it is expected to be available for download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store. As revealed by PUBG Corp, it is planning a special version of the game for the Indian audience and it will feature custom in-game content. This will be similar to the global version but more granular details are unavailable at the moment.

What restrictions/monitoring will the government impose on PUBG Mobile to ensure it complies with privacy rules?

The Indian government has reportedly indicated that unless PUBG Corp. addresses the security and privacy concerns of the Indian government, “it will be difficult to grant any relaxation” to the ongoing ban of PUBG Mobile in India. To this end, PUBG Mobile India will also include restriction settings on game time in order to instil healthy gameplay habits for young PUBG Mobile players in India.

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