Why PUBG Mobile will not launch in India anytime soon

[Jiren]

PUBG Mobile game is expected to relaunch the battle royale game in India as PUBG Mobile India later this year. But when? We explain.

 

PUBG Mobile was banned by the Indian government in September last year alongside hundreds of other Chinese applications. The app was blocked by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) due to security and privacy reasons. Also Read - PUBG Mobile update: Ministry hints PUBG Mobile India launch unlikely

In the last few months, PUBG Corporation has been trying hard to bring back the game to the millions of its players in the country. As for the current situation, we believe that the relaunch seems difficult. Also Read - PUBG Mobile 2.0 could be on its way as a major haul: Here's if the game will make it to India

When will PUBG Mobile India launch?
Rumours suggest that PUBG Mobile will relaunch in the next few months but you must note that there is no official confirmation for the same yet. So, take any report or rumours you come across with a pinch of salt. Also Read - FAU-G release date announced by Akshay Kumar, Twitterati goes on a memes riot

Some reports suggest that PUBG Corporation has requested to host a meeting with the authorities but didn’t get any response yet. This hints that the Indian government is in no mood to lift the ban for now. Things may change later, depending on the changes the company brings to the game.

In December last year, the gaming company teased an Indian version of battle royale game dubbed PUBG Mobile India. The company released an official teaser and said that users’ privacy and security will be of the “utmost” importance. They also said that the game will relaunch in India soon and will be tailored as per Indian players.

While PUBG Mobile is positive about its relaunch, we believe the company could face issues and it will not be as easy as they believe. We explain why PUBG Mobile India launch could be delayed further.

pubg mobile india

What it requires to relaunch PUBG Mobile in India
The Indian government banned PUBG Mobile under section 69A of the IT Act last year. The ban was due to concerns related to security and privacy of users’ information. The government reportedly feared that the Chinese developer of the game, Tencent, sends crucial user data of Indian players to China. PUBG Mobile, however, claimed that user data are completely secured.

Addressing concerns raised by the Indian government, PUBG at the time of announcing the Indian version of the game dubbed PUBG Mobile India, said that they are building servers within India to host and also store user data in the country itself. The company also said it has plans to hire people in India in order to setup operations in the country.

While the game is trying hard to return to India and making all efforts, the government doesn’t seem convinced at the moment. At least, there are no official words on talks going between the gaming company and the authorities. In fact, a report released lately noted that “Unless they address the concerns, it will be difficult to grant any relaxation”.

In order to return to India, PUBG Mobile needs to meet the concerns raised by the government, convince the authorities to lift the ban. Once that is done, the game has chances of arrive in India.

PUBG Mobile should ensure that before the game is re-released in India it should be completely compliant with the government’s requirements. Last month, Krafton inked a deal with Microsoft Azure to ensure data security and privacy. This suggests that developers could be trying to ensure they comply with all the concerns ahead of the official release.