PUBG Mobile set to make re-entry in India with a new name & game and $100 million investment from Krafton

PUBG Corporation has announced that it is preparing to launch PUBG Mobile India. This new game is specially made for the Indian market. This will be a fork game of PUBG Mobile, which the Indian Government earlier banned. Alongside the announcement, the company has revealed its plans on how it will provide a secure and healthy gameplay environment for players; how it will invest in the country to cultivate local video game, esports, entertainment, and IT industries.

The company is yet to announce the release date of PUBG Mobile India.

However, we expect the game to come out very soon. PUBG has stated that it plans to create an Indian subsidiary. This will help in communication with players and provide them with localised services. It intends to hire over 100 employees that will specialise in business, esports and game development. It will also work with local businesses to strengthen its gaming service. For this, Krafton Inc also plans to invest around $100 million in the country.

In a statement on Thursday, PUBG Corporation said,

“privacy and security of Indian player data being a top priority for PUBG Corporation. The company will conduct regular audits and verifications on the storage systems holding Indian users’ personally identifiable information to reinforce security and ensure that their data is safely managed.”

Prior to the ban in early September, PUBG Mobile had amassed over 50 million monthly active users in India, more than any other mobile game in the country. It helped establish an entire ecosystem of esports organisations. It even has a cottage industry of streamers that made the most of its spectator sport-friendly gameplay, said Rishi Alwani, a long-time analyst of the Indian gaming market and publisher of news outlet The Mako Reactor.

PUBG Corporation’s move today could also set a precedence for other impacted apps to chart their returns to the country. One thing that remains unclear for now is whether the Indian government has approved PUBG Corporation’s move.