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PUBG ban cheers its global gaming rivals

 The ban on PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) Mobile, one of the most popular virtual gaming platforms across the world, has sparked off a frantic search for alternatives among Indian gamers.

Downloads for rival games Garena Free Fire and Call of Duty (COD) Mobile have risen steadily since PUBG was taken out of app stores over security concerns on 2 September.

Data from app analytics firm Sensor Tower showed Free Fire and COD Mobile were downloaded 3.7 million and 1.4 million times, respectively, between 3 and 9 September. The number of downloads grew 147% and 267%, respectively, from the previous week.

The virtual gaming industry, which for many decades has been dominated by a select few names, is fast giving way to newer challengers. As per industry data, online gaming platforms dominate nearly three-fourths of the domestic gaming market, thanks to the rapid rise of smartphone users. Online gaming, as a segment, is estimated to be a $1.1 billion opportunity in India by 2021, according to a Google-KPMG report.

India is expected to have more than 628 million gamers. Experts attribute the shift in market share to revenue from mobile gaming surpassing those of gaming consoles, prompting major game developers to switch to mobile platforms.

While some still expect PUBG to make a return, at the moment, gamers seem to be shifting to its rivals—much as people did when TikTok was banned. However, unlike the short-video app, PUBG doesn’t have an Indian alternative and therefore, its absence is expected to benefit foreign, non-Chinese game publishers.

According to Harsh Kothari, who runs e-sports firm Neon Gaming, users who had bought in-app items in PUBG Mobile are going to incur losses and may still use virtual private networks to access the game.

Sensor Tower’s data suggests that of the $3.5 billion PUBG earned worldwide during its lifetime, $41.2 million came from India. While this is only 1.2% of the game’s global revenue (a major part comes from China), PUBG Mobile was the top grossing app in India between 1 January and 31 August this year.

A significant PUBG Mobile update marks what PUBG Corp is calling the start of a "new era" for the game, spearheaded by the rollout of a revamped version of PUBG's famous Erangel map. The island map's mansion and military bases have been completely rebuilt, and more trenches and bunkers have been added for players to scamper around.

The update also marks a significant upgrade to the game's framerate and overall connectivity, with PUBG Mobile now targeting 90 frames per second on supported platforms. Crouching and standing have been optimized, meaning that you hopefully won't get stuck on errant pieces of furniture anymore. The patch buffs several of the game's most beloved weapons, particularly the Tommy Gun, the UMP, and the DBS, in addition to introducing a new semi-auto shotgun called the M1014.

Version 1.0 makes some smaller changes, including balance adjustments for the Livik map, a total overhaul of the game's lobby system, and a new training arena called Cheer Park. PUBG Mobile recently banned over 2 million cheaters in one week in August, as well as introducing a new update that locked out many of the game's most-popular "plug-in" exploits. A $2 million PUBG Mobile tournament will follow later in 2020, albeit with no live audience.


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