PUBG To Relaunch In India: Might Partner With Airtel

PUBG ban in India has altered smartphone gaming dynamics in the country. The popular game is looking to relaunch in the country since the ban. Several rumors pointed out that the Indian government wasn't in any rush to revoke the ban. Now, the latest reports suggest PUBG may relaunch in a partnership with Airtel.

It's been a while since PUBG was banned by the Indian government for its ties with the Chinese conglomerate - Tencent Games. Despite breaking ties with the company, the PUBG ban continued to stay in place. For a while now, the popular battle royale game has been trying out multiple ways to re-enter the Indian market, but in vain.

PUBG, Airtel Game Deal

Further, reports talked about how PUBG and Reliance Jio were in discussion to make a comeback. However, the new reports revealed that these talks have been off. The latest move, however, is joining hands with Airtel. A report from Entackr notes that both companies are in early discussion to relaunch PUBG in India.

Plus, PUBG is also reportedly raising a lean team in India, where rumors note that the company has been holding interviews of candidates with four-to-six years of experience in game development. Could this mean that PUBG will soon set up a team in India to handle all development, without having any Chinese links? It's hard to be certain right now.

PUBG Alternatives On The Rise

But it's obvious that PUBG is trying its best to make a comeback in India. According to a report by Sensor Tower, PUBG recorded a fall of 26.7 percent downloaded from 14.6 million in August. India is one of the largest contributors to PUBG, with roughly 30 to 35 percent overall downloads globally.

Following the ban, several PUBG players have switched to other alternatives for battle royale experience like Free Fire. Moreover, the launch of FAU-G, an Indian alternative to PUBG has also gotten many gamers interested. If PUBG indeed makes a comeback in a partnership with Airtel, it might have some tough competition to face.