New Delhi: PUBG Mobile, will terminate all service and access for users in India from today, two months after India banned the game in the world’s second largest internet market over cybersecurity concerns.
But unlike other affected apps that became unavailable within days, PUBG Mobile apps remained accessible in the country for users who already had them installed on their phones, tablets and PCs. Following the ban, Google and Apple pulled PUBG Mobile apps from their app stores in India. But soon enough, guides on how to work around the ban and obtain and install the apps became popular on several forums.
PUBG Mobile had about 50 million monthly active users in India, tens of millions of users ahead of Call of Duty: Mobile and Fortnite and any other mobile game in the country. “PUBG Mobile kickstarted an entire ecosystem — from esports organisations to teams and even a cottage industry of streamers that made the most of its spectator sport-friendly gameplay,” said Rishi Alwani, a long-time analyst of Indian gaming market. “Granted Tencent did a lot of the heavy lifting in building it out, but the game’s quality itself was heads and shoulders above what most Indians were used to on smartphones. And that’s a reason many kept coming back, some eventually monetising as well”.
On Thursday, PUBG Mobile said, “protecting user data has always been a top priority and we have always complied with applicable data protection laws and regulations in India. All users’ gameplay information is processed in a transparent manner as disclosed in our privacy policy.” “We deeply regret this outcome, and sincerely thank you for your support and love for PUBG Mobile in India”.
Post Your Comments