PUBG to return with Indian subsidiary, pumps $100mn into gaming

Bringing cheers to Indian mobile gamers ahead of Diwali, PUBG Corporation on Thursday said it is making a comeback to the India market with the creation of an Indian subsidiary and a new game.

With its South Korean parent company Krafton, Inc., PUBG Corp also plans to make investments worth $100 million in India to cultivate the local video game, esports, entertainment, and IT industries, the company said.

The immensely popular PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile app was among the 118 Chinese apps that the Indian government banned in September over national security concerns.

To get the ban lifted, PUBG Corp made the decision to no longer authorise the PUBG Mobile franchise to China-based Tencent Games in India.

Confirming this on Thursday, PUBG said it is preparing to launch PUBG Mobile India, a new game created specifically for the Indian market.

The Indian subsidiary will hire over 100 employees specialising in business, esports, and game development, PUBG Corp said.

In addition to establishing a local office, the company will look to actively collaborate and leverage local businesses to strengthen its gaming service, it added.

The company also revealed plans to provide a secure and healthy gameplay environment alongside investments to cultivate local video game, esports, entertainment, and IT industries.

To assuage privacy and data security concerns, PUBG said it 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.

To build and foster a healthy gameplay environment, in-game content will be improved and tailored to reflect local needs, it added.

Various aspects of the game will be customized for Indian gamers, such as the game now being 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 include a feature that places restrictions on game time to promote healthy gameplay habits for younger players.

The company, however, did not disclose the launch date of PUBG Mobile India.