Most popular battle royale game PUBG Mobile is returning to India after being banned in September 2020. The app is available in early access on Google’s Play Store under a new name, Battlegrounds Mobile India, and with some changes to the game itself, like green blood and a new account system.

PUBG Mobile was initially banned alongside hundreds of other apps because of connections to Chinese companies in this game’s case, it was major video game investor Tencent. At the time of the ban, PUBG Studio (owned by the larger South Korean company Krafton) announced that it would relaunch in the region with new features customized for Indian gamers, including the color change to blood, and framing the game explicitly as a “virtual simulation training ground.”

A modified bodily fluids part of a long tradition of censoring depictions of violence in games  and reminders that the game isn’t real, Battlegrounds seems to be the same as PUBG Mobile. There’s apparently even a way to easily transfer your account from the older game to the new one.

The really consequential changes may be less visible. The Indian government’s major justification for the ban was that it had concerns about where users’ data was transmitted, with the idea that it was not comfortable having that data sent to places outside of India.

Ahead of its planned relaunch, PUBG Studio announced it was severing ties with Tencent in India and moving the game’s hosting to Microsoft Azure data centers in the country, which may have solved the matter well before any green blood did.

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PUBG Corporation announced in November that it would bring PUBG Mobile back to India. It had not, however, provided a timetable for the game's release in the country. Last month, the official YouTube channel for PUBG Mobile India posted a video implying that the game's release in the Indian market is imminent. Furthermore, a PUBG creative banner was leaked last week, implying that it will be renamed Battlegrounds Mobile in India. However, no confirmation was provided. That has changed today, with the launch of the official Battlegrounds Mobile India website.

The official website for Battlegrounds Mobile India went live today, confirming not only that PUBG Mobile will return to India, but also that it will be renamed for the Indian market. The official website states "Coming Soon," implying that the game will be available in India soon. The page includes a link to the official Battlegrounds Mobile India YouTube channel, which currently lacks videos. It's also worth noting that there's no mention of PUBG on the website. We can see the word "Krafton" written there, which is, as you may know, the company behind PUBG.

There is still no word on when Battlegrounds Mobile India will be released. We also don't know if Battlegrounds Mobile India will simply be a rebranded version of PUBG Mobile or if it will be tailored specifically for the Indian market. PUBG Corporation stated in a November press release that PUBG Mobile will be modified for India “to build and foster a healthy gameplay environment, in-game content will be improved and tailored to reflect local needs.” As the launch date approaches, we hope to learn more.

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