PUBG has turned one-year-old: The mad video game's journey from then to now

Unless you have been living under a rock, it’s almost impossible that you don’t know what PUBG is. You may not like it, you may not have played it, you may not even know what it really looks like, BUT you know for sure the madness the game is. In February 2018, while the **Fortnite** fever was soaring across many countries in the world, **Tencent** games launched a new PC video game called  **PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds** aka PUBG. A year later, that’s all that the gamers are talking about (most of them anyway). Here’s taking a look at what PUBG was like in February 2018, and what has it come to be 365 days later. February 2018: Tencent announced PUBG in China, after a collaboration with PUBG Corp. March 2018: PUBG Mobile is released on iOS and Android globally. At this time, the app has just one map — Erangel — in-game voice chat, and a “powerful anti-cheating mechanisms.” [caption id=“attachment_5013991” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”]  People attend the PUBG Global Invitational 2018, the first official esports tournament for the game in Berlin, Germany. Image: Reuters[/caption] May 2018: PUBG ‘Game Buddy’ emulator is launched to play PUBG Mobile on PC. A new update adds the new Miramar desert map to the mobile app. And just a few days later, Tencent announces that PUBG Mobile has **10 million daily active users**  outside of China. June 2018: PUBG Mobile Royale Pass makes its debut. PUBG also **announces** the ‘Fortnite-sized’ map called Sanhok, and some new weapons. [caption id=“attachment_5168291” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  PUBG brings the Sanhok map to mobile.[/caption] July 2018: PUBG Beta programme **arrives** on Google Play Store. August 2018: PUBG becomes one of the **most downloaded** mobile games across the App Store and Google Play. PUBG Mobile partners with Mission: Impossible - Fallout for themed content such as skins, parachutes, and even different in-game music. Also, PUBG Mobile Lite is **launched** , which is aimed at budget smartphones. PUBG Mobile **downloads cross 100 million** outside of China with 14 million daily active users. [caption id=“attachment_4986601” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  PUBG for Android.[/caption] September 2018: Tencent announces India’s first official PUBG Mobile tournament called the PUBG Mobile Campus Championship 2018. PUBG Mobile hits **20 million daily active users** . October 2018: PUBG for PC gets the **anti-cheat system** . PUBG’s new 50 vs 50 mode called Platoon mode  is now live for PC gamers. PUBG Mobile **adds** new Diwali-special events and a kurta-pyjama for characters. November 2018: PUBG’s release of PlayStation 4 is confirmed. December 2018: PUBG’s Snow Map **Vikendi** is launched. PUBG also takes action and **bans** 30,000 accounts for cheating. News of Maharashtra government demanding a ban on PUBG goes viral, which will later be  declared  as fake news. [caption id=“attachment_5997551” align=“alignnone” width=“1920”]  PUBG Mobile.[/caption] January 2019: PUBG Mobile India Series 2019 kicks off. PUBG streamer **Carryminati** speaks out on emulators, Twitch and much more. Gujarat government asks primary schools to **ban** students from playing PUBG as it ‘adversely affects studies’. 11-year-old student **sends a letter** to the Maharashtra government to ban PUBG for inciting violence. February 2019: The popularity of PUBG is proven once again when Prime Minister Narendra Modi asks a mother of a teen at Padhai pe Charcha “Ye PUBG Wala hai kya?”. In mere hours, that will turn into the meme of the week. PUBG’s  **addiction** levels are seriously **questioned** . India’s PUBG Mobile streamer Mortal talks about his “ **epic game** ”. Dynamo talks about his fear of saap ke bacche and his journey from 100 to 100,000 live viewer. PUBG star Thug from team 8Bit **talks** about his partnership with Mortal, and the high of winning the last round of the Asia Finals at the PUBG Mobile Star Challenge A **PUBG Lite for PC** , a new version meant for low-end PCs, is announced in Thailand, and subsequently in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore as well.