Indian Government still steadfast on the ban of PUBG Mobile, relaunch looks like a meek prospect

PUBG Mobile, last week, announced their comeback in India. The battle royale game, after a ban in India due to its Tencent relationship, came under the radar of the Indian Government. Despite PUBG Devs stating that they are working on a more-privacy-rich update, the situation remains meek.

The new game, PUBG Mobile India did not have an exact launch date. But very recently, the developers started pre-registrations for Android and iOS game app. It is open to select users who are a part of Tap Tap game sharing community. The game has a very loyal fanbase, and hence they have found ways to play the game anyways even during the ban. So, the re-launch looks possible. Yet, the government had not given a full nod to PUBG Devs.

What does the government state?

According to a report now by TOI, Government sources remained unfazed. “Unless they address the concerns, it will be difficult to grant any relaxation,” they said. The new offer did not cut much ice with the government. It still remains steadfast on its decision to ban the gaming app in view of the stated concerns.

Further, in a bid to satisfy Indian regulators, PUBG in the new version aims to provide a secure and healthy gameplay environment. “With privacy and security of Indian player data being a top priority; the company will conduct regular audits and verifications on the storage systems holding Indian users’ personally identifiable information to reinforce security. We will ensure that their data is safely managed,” PUBG Corp said.

Not just the government, parents are looking for the ban to stay as well

While the government has security reasons, parents are worried about the un-ban. A parent stated that her 13yo has become mentally unstable because he played PUBG mobile during the lockdown. His studies were affected and this is the story o most parents out there. Government must take precautions for our youngsters. They should at least ban mobile versions."

"The addictions could be a result of parents not exercising enough control, but the solution cannot be to allow the game when the possibility of a ban is there. The entire generation of teenagers is today under the spell of the game, and parents cannot hit or scold children to damage their mental health. The ban was in talks, and thus, we supported it. Now, letting it come back may result in excessive usage resulting in affected childhood," said another parent.

Now, despite the ban, users found a way around it. Users downloaded different versions of the game, updated them through APK files and then used VPN to play the game They even went around trying new games and then went back to playing PUBG having tried out other games. Thus the ban stood impractical.

About PUBG Mobile India

According to the Corporation, they have created the new game PUBG Mobile India “specifically for the Indian market.” The new game will maximize data security for its players and adhere to the local regulations, the announcement said. The Corporation states there will be regular audits and verification on the storage systems. These will store the personal information of Indian users in order to make sure that the data is kept safe.