China's Tencent will no longer publish PUBG in India, says game's South Korea owner
A week after the government banned the game along with many other Chinese apps, the South Korean company that created PUBG has withdrawn the rights given to China’s Tencent Games to publish the game in India, saying it “respects” the Centre’s decision.
A week after the government banned the game along with many other Chinese apps, the South Korean company that created PUBG has withdrawn the rights given to China’s Tencent Games to publish the game in India, saying it “respects” the Centre’s decision.
PUBG was among the 118 Chinese apps that India banned on September 2 due to concerns over “data privacy and security”, in a move aimed as retaliation to Chinese incursions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
PUBG Corporation’s decision to itself publish the games in India and no longer give the rights to Tencent is seen as a measure to address India’s concerns by distancing itself from any Chinese connection.
“PUBG Corporation fully understands and respects the measures taken by the government as the privacy and security of player data is a top priority for the company. It hopes to work hand-in-hand with the Indian government to find a solution that will allow gamers to once again drop into the battlegrounds while being fully compliant with Indian laws and regulations,” the company said in a blog post.
“Moving forward, PUBG Corporation will take on all publishing responsibilities within the country. As the company explores ways to provide its own PUBG experience for India in the near future, it is committed to doing so by sustaining a localized and healthy gameplay environment for its fans,” the company said, adding it is committed to “engaging with its passionate player base in India”.
Related news: PUBG Corporation takes over PUBG Mobile from Tencent Games in India
PUBG has been a very popular game in India with about 40 million monthly active users. Both Google Play Store and Apple’s App store have removed PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite.
“The company explores ways to provide its own PUBG experience for India in the near future, it is committed to doing so by sustaining a localised and healthy gameplay environment for its fans,” it said.
“It has seen an overwhelming amount of support for the game from the country’s player base and would like to thank the community for their passion and enthusiasm,” PUBG said.
Related video: Gamers disappointed over PubG ban, look for alternatives
