By
Godfrey Benjamin
April 23rd, 2024
Shortly after banning 60 apps, the Indian government banned PUBG and 117 other Chinese apps. As a result, PUBG cut publishing ties with Tencent Games.
PUBG Mobile, the mobile version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) has ended publishing business with Tencent Games, a week after India banned the online game. Apart from PUBG, the government banned 117 other Chinese apps over security concerns.
Last week, the Indian government included PUBG mobile and 117 other Chinese apps in a ban. Before then, the government also banned nearly 60 Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat.
PUBG Cut Ties With Tencent Games
On the 29th of June, the Indian government announced the ban of 59 apps developed by the Chinese. According to the Indian government, the apps engaged in activities that threatened the security of the country. However, recent bans have been linked to ongoing tensions between the two countries. A spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India Ji Rong commented on the bans. Rong said:
“We urge the Indian government to rectify the discriminatory practices violating WTO rules, and provide an open, fair and impartial business environment for all market players from various countries including China.”
Among the apps banned on the 29th of June were Xender, Video call apps from Xiaomi , and Alibaba Group’s apps UC Browser and UC News.
Announced on Tuesday, PUBG’s decision to cut ties with Tencent is an effort to distance itself from the rift between both countries. According to a press release by PUBG Corporation, the company stated its respect for the privacy and security measures taken by the Indian government. Referring to its recent decision to end its publishing business with Tencent games in India, PUBG added:
“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 fans.”
PUBG Ban amid the China-India Conflict
Prior to the ban, PUBG had 40 million active users in India, which reflected on its gains. In addition, TechCrunch revealed that PUBG’s revenue in India surpassed figures from Netflix and Tinder. Now, Google and Apple have removed PUBG and others from their app stores in response to the new Indian order. However, several users said that existing users of PUBG games still have access to the app.
For some time, China and India have not been on good terms. In June, there was a border clash between the two countries in the Himalayas. CNBC reported that the confrontation resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers. However, Beijing refused to reveal the number of its casualties.
In addition to the ongoing tension, China and India recently accused each other of opening fire on Monday. According to a statement released by the Chinese government, Indian soldiers had “opened fire to threaten the Chinese border defence patrol officers.”
The Indian government however countered the claim, accusing the Chinese army of “provocative activities.”
Before the 7th of September, 1975 was the last time forces fired shots along the border. At the time, four Indian soldiers died in an ambush. Fortunately, neither side reported casualties following Monday’s incident.