PUBG Mobile's return to India announced; PUBG Corp to make $100 million investment

PUBG Corporation has announced PUBG Mobile’s return to India’s gaming market. The company says that it is preparing to launch ‘PUBG Mobile India’, a new game created specifically for the Indian market. PUBG Corp also announced its plans to invest $100 million in India to “cultivate the local video game, esports, entertainment, and IT industries.” The company will also be hosting India-exclusive esports events. The company has also said that in order to maintain privacy and security of players in India, 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.” [caption id=“attachment_9007761” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  PUBG Mobile India[/caption] PUBG Corp also says that in the new PUBG Mobile India game, in-game content will be improved and tailored to reflect local needs. Several aspects of the game will also be customised for local gamers, for instance, the game will now be “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 new PUBG Mobile India game will also include a feature that places restrictions on game time to promote healthy gameplay habits. PUBG Corp will also be establishing an India subsidiary and will hire over 100 employees specialising in business, esports, and game development. In addition to that, PUBG Corp says it will look to “actively collaborate and leverage local businesses to strengthen its gaming service.” This comes after the India government, in August,  **banned PUBG and 117 other Chinese apps**  in the country for ‘stealing, transmitting users’ data to servers outside India. In  response to the ban, PUBG Corporation had said that it will no longer authorize PUBG Mobile franchise to Tencent Games in India. At the time, the company said that “moving forward, PUBG Corporation will take on all publishing responsibilities within the country. As the company explores ways to provide its own PUBG experience for India in the near future, it is committed to doing so by sustaining a localized and healthy gameplay environment for its fans.” For the uninitiated, PUBG Mobile is the mobile version of PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) and is owned by a South Korean gaming company called PUBG Corporation. The company franchises certain publishing responsibilities of the mobile app to the Chinese company Tencent Games.