PUBG game owner distances itself from Tencent in bid to overturn India app ban – CNBC

Photo Illustration of PUBG app with Banned text on an iPad gadget in Guwahati, India, on Sept. 2, 2020. India has actually banned more than 100 additional apps with linkage to China, consisting of popular mobile game PUBG pointing out cybersecurity issues as geopolitical stress in between India and China rise.

David Talukdar|NurPhoto|Getty Images

It comes amid a spike in geopolitical tensions between India and China after a border clash in the Himalayas that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Those stress have flared once again today, with both India and China implicating each others soldiers of shooting warning chance ats the contested border.

PUBG Mobile, a fight royale video game similar to Fortnite, was hugely popular in India prior to the federal governments decision to obstruct it. According to app information tracker SensorTower, India was the apps biggest market, with over 175 million installs to date. That implies it accounted for about 24% of overall downloads globally.

PUBG Corporation, the South Korean company that develops and publishes PUBG, stated Tuesday that it would drop Tencent as the publisher of its PUBG Mobile game in India.

The owner of PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds has cut ties with Chinese tech giant Tencent in India, in an effort lift the ban on a mobile variation of the game.

“As the business checks out methods to supply its own PUBG experience for India in the near future, it is dedicated to doing so by sustaining a localized and healthy gameplay environment for its fans,” it added.

PUBG Mobile, a battle royale game comparable to Fortnite, was wildly popular in India prior to the governments decision to obstruct it. According to app information tracker SensorTower, India was the apps most significant market, with over 175 million installs to date. That means it accounted for about 24% of total downloads worldwide.

” In light of current developments, PUBG Corporation has made the decision to no longer license the PUBG MOBILE franchise to Tencent Games in India,” PUBG Corporation stated in a statement Tuesday. “Moving forward, PUBG Corporation will take on all publishing responsibilities within the country.”

Recently, the Indian government included PUBG Mobile and 117 other apps with links to China to a blacklist including the likes of TikTok and WeChat due to alleged nationwide security dangers.