PUBG Banned in What Countries?

When Tencent released PUBG Mobile globally in March 2018, the mobile gaming industry was completely upended. While most people questioned how such a large game could be created for mobile devices, the game has been believed to be in development for a few months.

PUBG Mobile defeated all of its rivals, especially Rules of Survival, to take the top spot in mobile Battle Royale. This month marks the game’s fifth birthday, and over a billion people have downloaded it worldwide.

Its success has, however, also had a lot of drawbacks. Governments have scrutinized the game because of its massive user base for being “too addicting” or “violent.” In certain places, the game has even been banned as a result of this. Esports.net looks at the list of nations that have PUBG Mobile bans.

PUBG Mobile was banned in China for not displaying enough patriotism
Given that Tencent is a Chinese corporation, you might be surprised to find this nation on the list. Yet, the Chinese government did prohibit the first version of PUBG Mobile back in 2018. Although the precise cause was not made clear, it was probably because of the nation’s stringent regulation of video games.

Yet, Tencent wasn’t going to let the game disappear in China. Hence, the corporation switched it out for Game for Peace, a patriotic Chinese remake devoid of gore. Hardly no distinctions exist between PUBG Mobile and Game for Peace/Peacekeeper Elite, and Chinese players frequently take part in the latter’s contests.

Pakistan: A time-wasting game
PUBG Mobile is available and doing well in Pakistan right now, but it was briefly outlawed back in July 2020.

The game is “addictive, a waste of time, and threatens serious detrimental impact on the physical and psychological health of the children,” according to a statement from the nation’s telecommunications authorities.

These assertions were not supported by any research, only isolated occurrences involving addiction.

A few months later, the country’s Supreme Court lifted the restriction.

Afghanistan: Taliban Says PUBG is Too Violent
Ironically, the Taliban in Afghanistan have outlawed the game for “promot[ing] violence.”

Shortly after the Taliban took power, the country’s Ministry of Telecommunications issued an order banning the game.

India: The Cause is Data Privacy
The largest controversy surrounding the ban of PUBG Mobile occurs in India. In September 2020, the game was outlawed for a different cause than the other nations on this list: data privacy.

Later, in July 2021, Krafton, a new publisher, brought the game back. The battle royale game was re-released under the name Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).

Even this localized version, nevertheless, was once more prohibited in July 2022 due to data privacy concerns.

The game is currently prohibited, but a recent report suggests that it might soon be allowed again. But whether that occurs is still up in the air.

Nepal: Accuses Addiction
In April 2019, PUBG Mobile was also temporarily banned in Nepal. Addiction among adolescents and teenagers was the source of this. Like the other nations on this list, Nepal did not offer any evidence to support this assertion.

Just ten days later, the country’s Supreme Court issued an order to overturn the ban because it was limiting citizens’ freedom.

PUBG Mobile Ban Wave Hits the Middle East in Jordan and Iraq
The wave of bans is not limited to South Asia; two Middle Eastern nations have also outlawed the book. PUBG Mobile was prohibited in Jordan and Iraq in April 2019 and July 2019, respectively, because to its detrimental effects on the youth of those nations.

These restrictions are very ambiguous given the styles of government in the various nations. It’s uncertain when the game will return.