PUBG Mobile has now been banned in certain Indian cities

Update:

Ten university students have been arrested for playing PUBG Mobile in western Gujarat.

All ten students were released on bail later that day. Speaking with Indian Express, police official Rohit Raval said, “the accused were so engrossed in playing” that they didn’t notice the police’s approach.

Original Story:

A few Indian cities have now placed a ban on PUBG Mobile.

Last week, Surat, Rajkot, and Vadodara placed a ban on the mobile version of PUBG Corporation’s popular battle royale game. Aravalli district administration has also issued a ban on both PUBG and the controversial MOMO Challenge.

PUBG Mobile’s ban is allegedly due to the protection of children. With concerns regarding the game’s promotion of violence alongside the game’s addictive nature, PUBG Mobile is allegedly causing Indian children to perform worse in exams.

#Rajkot Police bans popular #PubG game & #MomoChallenge.
Acc. to @GujaratPolice, it is leading to violent behaviour among youths and impacting their development. Anyone can file a complaint in the nearest police station againt people playing the game
Via @chiragpatel0055 pic.twitter.com/T4tieJY1LF

— Kumar Manish (@kumarmanish9) March 7, 2019

Anyone caught or reported playing PUBG Mobile could face a prison sentence of up to a month alongside a fine. The ban will only continue until March 30th, according to IBTimes. Their report states that players will only be arrested if they do not cooperate with the police’s demands to turn off the game.

PUBG Mobile’s reputation in many Indian cities has been remarkably negative. While the game is increasingly popular, key governmental members such as Gao’s IT Minister have described the game as, “a demon in every house.”

The game has recently been the subject of numerous violent crimes which certainly doesn’t help the situation. Recently, a Maharashtra man was involved in a knife crime after his fiance’s brother couldn’t find him a charger.

PUBG’s Indian ban won’t stop the game from growing. It’s obvious that the game is still incredibly popular – popular enough for PUBG Corp to create a Lite version for low-end PCs. With crossovers like Resident Evil 2 also coming to the mobile version of the game, its reach is certainly wide.