Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, fondly known as PUBG, has become a household name in many homes of India, owing to the wide popularity its free-to-play mobile version. But in spite of its highly engaging gameplay, frequent and exciting updates, and great match-making skills, PUBG Mobile has been alarming Indian parents and the various government agencies for all the wrong reasons. Reported incidents of PUBG addiction, which has led to poor school results, violence, and even suicide in India, have sparked a row of criticism against the game.
With the outcry from parents and authorities demanding a ban on the game in India, PUBG Mobile's developer has promised to resolve these problems and proving a safe and rewarding ecosystem for gamers. In an official statement, the team said that it is committed to working with government agencies, educational institutions, stakeholders, and parents "to enhance the overall PUBG MOBILE experience."
The developers noted that they are working on "numerous new features and enhancements which enables us to provide an environment for players to enjoy PUBG MOBILE in a rewarding and responsible manner." The team said that it has invited feedback from parents, educators, and other agencies to encourage responsibility among PUBG Mobile's enthusiasts.
The developers concluded with their desire to incorporate these recommendations and strive forward to make PUBG Mobile "the best game ever."
Parents, Governments, Institutions Seek Ban on PUBG in India
India's National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has reportedly urged the Indian government to ban the game to combat its addiction among the country's youth and to help them concentrate on studying. Lawmakers, including Gujarat's education minister and Goa's IT Minister, have called for similar bans while reputed institutions for higher educations have issued warnings of strict action against students who play PUBG Mobile.
The game also came to limelight when Prime Minister Modi mentioned it during an event at which he was interacting with students and parents on the topic of school examinations. The PM's comment, "Yeh PUBG wala hai kya?", (translation: "Is this the PUBG one?") in response to a parent's concern about her child's overindulgence in online games went viral on social media and made several headlines.
The statement from PUBG Mobile's developers comes during the on-going PUBG Mobile India Series 2019, in which any player with a minimum experience level of 20 can participate and compete for prizes worth ₹10 million ($140,000). Meanwhile, we expect Tencent, the Chinese tech giant which has partnered with Bluehole to create PUBG for smartphones, to introduce addiction-prevention systems in India as it recently did in China.