PUBG Mobile gets new 'Gameplay Management' feature to promote 'healthy gaming' habits

tech2 News StaffMay 15, 2019 17:35:26 IST

Days after Tencent decided to remove it's widely popular PUBG Mobile game in China and replaced its with a strange, patriotic version named Game of Peace, the company now adding a new "Gameplay Management" feature to PUBG Mobile.

In a bid to help "promote healthy gaming behaviors," PUBG Mobile's new "Gameplay Management" system is designed for people under the age of 18. The new system will send pop-ups to players that remind them to take a break.

Under terms of the new feature, players under the age of 18 are required to "acknowledge a gaming advisory" before they're able to boot the game. At certain time intervals, pop-up notifications will appear to remind youngsters to "rest or stop the game."

PUBG Mobilebeing played on an Android smartphone. Image: tech2/ Omkar P

For now, this new Gameplay Management system is live in India, Indonesia, Nepal, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The feature will be released in other markets later, in stages.

According to the developer, PUBG Mobile is among the first mobile games to feature such a system. "As PUBG mobile grows into one of the world's most trending mobile games, it is devoted to providing a better gaming environment and being proactive in building a balanced and sustainable online gaming ecosystem," publisher Tencent said.

Tencent executive Vincent Wang said the game wants to allow players to "make informed choices" when it comes to how much time they spend playing PUBG Mobile. "Today’s announcement is a proactive step in ensuring that hundreds of millions of players worldwide can continue to enjoy PUBG Mobile in a sustainable manner," Wang said.

Tencent will look into player feedback and make necessary adjustments over time as the system is released globally. The company is also undertaking educational measures to inform players about why they should care about the Gameplay Management system in the first place.

There is no word yet on if the Gameplay Management system will ever be launched for PUBG's other editions on PC and console.