Everything you need to know about Battlegrounds Mobile India

It has been an exciting few weeks for PUBG Mobile fans following the news that their favourite game is coming back. While the game may be called Battlegrounds Mobile India, it’s still PUBG Mobile as it is developed by the franchise's owners. Obviously, players will have a host of questions in their mind. So we have got together all of the information that was currently available to answer as many questions as we could.

So, who is developing the Battlegrounds Mobile India?

While Tencent was responsible for PUBG Mobile, it looks like Krafton Inc. will be taking over from them. One of the reasons why PUBG Mobile was banned in the first place was due to its Chinese links. However, Krafton Inc. is wholly South Korean. This should please the Indian Government.

What about my privacy and security? Is my data going to be safe?

A few months back, Krafton had announced that it would be working with Microsoft to ensure personal data protection through Azure. The company noted that Azure offered state of the art security and the most comprehensive set of compliance offerings of any cloud service provider. In its press release, Krafton also notes that all data collection and storage will be in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in India.

What about the gameplay? Will it remain the same?

Well, it is still way too early to say anything, to be honest. All we have to work with is one teaser image that shows the logo. From what we can gather, the gameplay will follow the same battle royale formula as before. It should also be noted that the characters are jumping into a desert map, which might just be Miramar. This might hint at the possibility that Battlegrounds Mobile India will offer the same set of maps as the global version of PUBG Mobile. 

Will I be able to play with foreign players?

In a word, no. Battlegrounds Mobile India will only work in India. As such, it should work in a manner similar to the Chinese version of PUBG that was re-released as Game For Peace. As  a bonus, players will get a lot of India-specific in-game events, and maybe even unlock India-specific characters

On the flip side, the game is limited to India. Players will not be able to compete with global players and teams. As a result, Indian teams will not be able to compete in global tournaments like the PUBG Mobile Club Open. To counter this, it looks like Krafton Inc plans to build an esports ecosystem in India. In order to achieve this, it has already heavily invested in Indian esports company, Nodwin Gaming. As such, expect a host of domestic Battlegrounds Mobile India tournaments, but nothing much in terms of international exposure.

OK… Do we know when we can play from?

No idea yet. Krafton has not yet revealed any information regarding the game’s launch. To be fair, even speculating on the launch is tough. Back in November, Krafton had announced PUBG Mobile India with the intention to launch it soon. But we all know what came of that. So for now, you are left better off waiting for an official announcement.

I’m already seeing a bunch of APKs online. Can’t I just sideload those and start playing?

Those APKs are not officially endorsed by Krafton Inc. As such they could feature malware or might just be used to steal personal information. In other words, stay clear of any APKs that you may see online and wait for any official announcement from Krafton regarding the availability of the game. 

Fine! At least tell me that I can pre-register for the game?

You’re in luck! Krafton Inc. noted in its press release that the game will have a pre-registration period before launch, this means that you can download the game the moment it becomes available. However, we still have no idea when the pre-registration period will begin. 

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Shrey Pacheco

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