After the PUBG ban last year, the game’s developer, Krafton, decided to release a separate version of the game for India with a new avatar and name: Battleground Mobile India.
Krafton’s hopes of a comeback could be dashed, however, as former and current parliamentarians in India have begun calling for a general gambling ban. On Saturday May 22, former Union Minister and current MLA Ninong Ering of Arunachal Pradesh wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi calling for a ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India. In his letter he clearly stated that the upcoming game is “the relaunch of PUBG Mobile”.
Ering claimed Krafton India employed people from Tencent, a Chinese technology company that was the lead investor in PUBG Mobile India. He also pointed out that the term “PUBG Mobile” is mentioned in the Terms of Service on the Battlegrounds Mobile India Google Play Store listing.
Current MP Abhishek Singhvi soon jumped on the bandwagon, claiming that the release of Battlegrounds Mobile India will allow Tencent to re-enter the Indian gaming market, according to a report by IGN India.
Meanwhile, Ering didn’t stop there, calling for Krafton’s $ 22.4 million investment in domestic gaming company Nodwin.
If Prime Minister Modi or one of the two ministers – the Home Office (MHA) and the Department of Electronics and IT – complies with politicians’ request, Battlegrounds India could fish in troubled waters.
Battleground Mobile India has not yet announced the game’s launch date. Krafton only opened the pre-registration link for players. The registration link opened on May 18, and many in the country are hoping the company can launch the game in June 2021.
