PUBG India Alternative Battlegrounds Mobile, is facing opposition in the country even before its launch, as a lawmaker has requested for a ban on it on the grounds that it poses a national security threat just like its predecessor.
The game developed by Krafton started pre-registration on the Google Play app store on May 18, and even though the creators have yet to provide any specifics about the launch date, sources claim that it is scheduled for a release on June 18.
However, prior to its formal debut, Ninong Ering, a member of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, urged in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the game not be released in India because it supposedly poses a national security danger – similar to the original PUBG Mobile (not banned in the country).
He goes on to say that the current edition of the action game by South Korean developer Krafton is a “mere illusion” and that the data of Indian individuals is the “same game with minimal modifications.” “Tencent is currently the second-largest stakeholder and has a 15.5% stake in Krafton. Its stake was only 10% in 2018 and it may soon have a majority stake and control,” he continued.
After Krafton announced the comeback of PUBG Mobile in the nation last year, the country’s top child rights organisation, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), stated it would be inappropriate to relaunch PUBG unless relevant laws were in place.
Priyank Kanoongo, the chairperson of the NCPCR, has also “seriously advised” against the mobile’s reactivation. Both Krafton and Nodwin have yet to react to MLA’s open letter to Ninong Ering.
The letter claims that the company’s plan to release a new version of the game is an attempt to “sidestep” Indian rules and “deceive the government and Indian residents.” Late last month, Krafton revealed intentions to release Battlegrounds Mobile India, a game that would be accessible only in India and would replace PUBG Mobile, which was banned by the government last year. At the time of publication, Krafton had not responded to an email requesting comment.
Also Read : Battlegrounds Mobile India launch Update