Things have not been easy for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) in India with allegations being thrown at the game for affecting youngsters because of its ‘addictiveness’.
The multiplayer online game was banned for primary school students in Gujarat this January with the state government saying that the game was affecting studies of the young students. Many other citizens in the state are seeking a similar ban as well.
Now, after facing the backlash repeatedly, PUBG has released a statement in response.
PUBG has said, “While we strive to deliver the best possible gaming experience to our fans, we also believe it is extremely important for us to be a responsible member of the gaming ecosystem.”
The game makers also added that the PUBG team is working alongside educators, parents, and government bodies introduce improvements in its app.
The statement read, “To foster a healthy and balanced in-game environment, we are developing numerous new features and enhancements which enables us to provide an environment for players to enjoy
The statement by PUBG team comes at a time when many are battling game addiction.
Earlier in February, an 11-year-old boy reportedly filed a PIL through his mother in Bombay HC seeking a ban on PUBG saying that the popular mobile game promotes violence. In the same month, a teenage boy killed himself in Mumbai after his parents denied him a new smartphone for playing the PUBG mobile game.
In August last year, reports emerged that a Bengaluru clinic was treating a 15-year-old boy for his addiction to PUBG. In January 2019, a fitness trainer from Jammu was given treatment citing mental imbalance after he started self-harming after playing the game.
Launched for consoles in December 2017 and successfully reaching the smartphones in March 2018, PUBG has over 30 million daily users globally and is popular on both Apple and Android devices equally. PUBG Corporation is a subsidiary of Bluehole, a South Korean video game company.
As the gaming competitions provided the gamers platform, the popularity of the game only grew with handsome rewards being given to the winners.
PUBG Mobile India Series 2019 was recently held and had a pool of Rs 1 crore, in which the winner of the tournament took home Rs 30 lakh; in addition, top 10 teams also bagged cash prizes.
Some even enjoy watching the game streaming live on YouTube; it seems to be another trending business on social media.
As per reports, YouTuber Rahul Pandey channel subscribers grew from a modest 17,000 to 70,000 after a couple of months of streaming PUBG Mobile.