PUBG set for re-launch in India with a new name. Find out more…

Here’s a good news for mobile gaming enthusiasts. PUBG is back, this time with a new name —Battlegrounds Mobile India.

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Krafton Inc., the South Korean makers of the game, said Battlegrounds Mobile India will have its own esports ecosystem, which includes tournaments and leagues. “Krafton will collaborate with partners to build an esports ecosystem while bringing in-game content regularly, starting with a series of India specific in-game events at launch, to be announced later,” the company press release read on Thursday (May 6).

PUBG Mobile was a very popular game in India till last year when the Centre banned it, along with 117 mobile games, for their China links, in the backdrop of India-China border tension in Ladakh. Later, Krafton’s subsidiary, PUBG Corporation, acquired the publishing and distribution rights from the Shenzen-based (China) entity.

Since then Krafton has been trying to convince the Government of India to allow PUBG to be reintroduced in India. It also promised to localise Indian data and set up a full-fledged team of at least 100 people in India. In addition, the South Korean company declared to invest $100 million (roughly Rs 738 crore) in India, but the government did not heed to its request. At the end, they had to launch an altogether new game, Battlegrounds Mobile India, which is said to be a slightly tweaked version of the original PUBG.

The company did not declare the release date of the new game, but teasers are out and are already generating a lot of excitement among game enthusiasts. Battlegrounds Mobile India will be available for pre-registrations before its official launch. The game is exclusively made for India, and its logo will feature the tri-colour theme to attract Indian gamers. The game will have a series of India-specific in-game events at launch, which will be declared at a later date, the press release said.

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The makers of the game project it as a AAA multiplayer gaming experience along with exclusive in-game events such as outfits and features.

“With privacy and data security being a top priority, Krafton will be working with partners to ensure data protection and security, at each stage,” the release said.

Krafton is keen on investing $100 million in India and is hiring already. The South Korean firm has donated Rs 1.5 crore to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s PM Cares Fund to assist India’s COVID-19 relief programme.