An investor in some huge games and mobile apps, Chinese company Tencent has come under frequent fire in recent months, with the corporation accused of not protecting its consumers' personal data. The company’s appWeChat was recently banned in the US, with Donald Trump sharing concerns that Tencent was endangering the US' national security.
Recent reports also confirmed that India was banningPlayerUnknown’s Battleground’smobile port for its connection with Tencent, with the game’s developerBluehole Studio severing ties with the company in the country as a result. It seems the ban will proceed all the same, with the studio announcing today thatPUBGMobileandPUBG Mobile Litewill both be rendered unplayable in India on October 30.
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B0th versions of the game were featured on a list of 118 apps that the Indian Government had suspended in the country due to data privacy concerns. Speaking on the ban,PUBG’sFacebook account released a statement, claiming “protecting user data has always been [its] top priority.” It went on to thank Indian fans who have stuck withPUBG MobileandPUBG Mobile Lite,acknowledging the strong support players have always had for the game and the studio behind it. It seems the company is looking for viable options to see the game return to screens in the country, recently acknowledging that it was working on a solution to keep the game up and running in India. However, for now, it seems the game is officially banned.
Of course, this is far from the first case of data privacy concerns leading to the ban of a beloved app. Earlier this year, Donald Trump proceeded with his plans toban ByteDance’s insanely popular social media platform TikTok, with the president citing that the app was a danger to national security. It seems data privacy is becoming an increasingly important political concern, with apps such as TikTok, WeChat, andPUBGall gaining the attention of governments across the globe.
In terms ofPUBG’sPC and console ports, the game is currently doing pretty well. It plans tooffer next-generation players some new technical upgrades, including 60 FPS gameplay, while it’s ninth season began earlier this month for PC players, it begins today for those on console. The update brings a brand new map called Paramo, which is located in the highlands of South America and has landmarks that vary during each match to keep things fresh. There’s also a new cargo system, which will act as a fun shakeup for the title.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsis available on Android, iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
