Nearly two months after popular mobile game PUBG was banned in India, PUBG Corporation, the South Korean company and creator of PUBG has announced that it is planning to launch a new game PUBG Mobile India. This will be a new game created specifically for the Indian market.
PUBG was among the 118 mobile applications additionally banned in India by the Union government in September, citing national security concerns. This included PUBG Mobile, Baidu and a couple of virtual private networks (VPNs) that allowed access to TikTok that was earlier banned.
PUBG Corp’s parent company KRAFTON, Inc has also announced plans to invest $100 million in India to cultivate the local video game, e-sports, entertainment, and IT industries.
PUBG corp also plans to create an Indian subsidiary to enhance communications and services with players. The Indian company will hire over 100 employees specializing in business, esports, and game development.
In addition to establishing a local office, the company will look to actively collaborate and leverage local businesses to strengthen its gaming service.
Outside of the manufacturing industry, these investments will represent the largest made by a Korean company, it said in a statement.
“Thanks to overwhelming community enthusiasm for PUBG esports in India, the company also plans to make investments by hosting India-exclusive esports events, which will feature the biggest tournaments, the largest prize pools, and the best tournament productions,” the company added in a statement.
With the game previously being banned due to security concerns, the company has said that privacy and security of Indian player data will be top priority and that 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.
Various aspects of the game will be customized for Indian gamers. For example, the game will now be set in a virtual simulation training ground, new characters automatically starting clothed, and green hit effects to reflect the virtual nature of the game.
The company will also include a feature that places restrictions on game time to promote healthy gameplay habits for younger players.