PUBG Mobile was banned by the Indian government in September last year along with hundreds of other Chinese applications. The app was blocked by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for security and privacy reasons.
In the last few months, PUBG Corporation has been working hard to bring back the game to millions of players in the country. According to the current situation, we believe the relay seems difficult.
When will PUBG Mobile India launch?
Rumors suggest that PUBG Mobile will relaunch in the next few months, but you should note that there is no official confirmation yet. So, whatever report or rumors you bring, add a pinch of salt to it.
Some reports state that PUBG Corporation has requested to hold a meeting with the authorities, but no response has been received yet. This indicates that the Indian government is not in the mood to lift the ban for now. Later things may change, it depends on the changes that the company brings to the game.
In December last year, the gaming company teased an Indian version of the battle royale game dubbed PUBG Mobile India. The company released an official teaser and said that users’ privacy and security would be of “extreme” importance. He also said that the game would resume in India soon and would suit Indian players.
While PUBG Mobile is positive about its relaunch, we believe the company may face issues and it will not be as easy as they believe. We explain why PUBG Mobile India launch may be delayed further.
What is required for reloading PUBG Mobile in India
The Government of India last year banned PUBG mobiles under Section 69A of the IT Act. This restriction was due to concerns related to the security and privacy of users’ information. The government reportedly feared that the Chinese developer of the game, Tencent, would send important user data of Indian players to China. PUBG Mobile, however, claimed that user data are completely secure.
Addressing concerns raised by the Government of India at the time of the announcement of the Indian version of the game of PUBG Mobile India, PUBG stated that they are building servers within India to host and store user data within the country . The company also said that it plans to hire people in India to setup operations in the country.
While the game is working hard to make a comeback in India and make all efforts, the government is not convinced at the moment. At least, there are no official words on the negotiations between the gaming company and the executives. In fact, a recently released report stated that “it would be difficult to give any waivers until they allay concerns”.
To return to India, PUBG Mobile needs to meet the concerns raised by the government, persuading authorities to lift the ban. Once done, the game is likely to reach India.
PUBG Mobile should ensure that it must conform to the requirements of the government before re-releasing the game in India. Last month, Crafton entered into an agreement with Microsoft Azure to ensure data security and privacy. This suggests that developers can try to ensure that they comply with all concerns before the official release.