Battlegrounds Mobile India has mysteriously disappeared from India-specific Google Play and Apple App Store. The game was launched last year after its previous iteration, PUBG Mobile, was banned by the Indian government in 2020 due to security reasons. It remains unclear whether the action game is now banned in the country, or has violated some app store(s) policies, leading to its removal. At the time of writing, PUBG New State which is developed by Battlegrounds mobile India is available to download on both Google Play and Apple App Store.
There has been a big development for fans of Battlegrounds Mobile India as the Indian PUBG Mobile variant has suddenly been taken down from the Google Play Store in the region.
The unexpected move has ignited speculation among the mobile gamers in India as many believe that the title has been banned.
Earlier today, i.e. on 28 July 2022, many users started reporting the disappearance of Battlegrounds Mobile India from the Play Store. Many have drawn similarities of the title's sudden removal to that of Garena Free Fire, which happened in February this year.
Readers can find out more about the title's alleged band and the rumors surrounding its unexpected takedown in the following section
Initially, reports of the removal were limited to Google Play Store as many Apple users could spot Battlegrounds Mobile India in App Store. However, the title soon disappeared for iOS/iPadOS users as well, leaving many social media users and Battlegrounds Mobile India fans suspicious about a potential ban.Fans' fear is not an exaggeration as the same happened in the case of Garena Free Fire. In February, Garena's flagship battle royale shooter was removed from Play Store and App Store, leaving everyone surprised and confused as the game was still operable.
The timing of the removal is not coincidental as an issue related to Battlegrounds mobile India was raised in the Rajya Sabha recently. Lawmakers were discussing whether action titles have harmful effects on children. The upper house was discussing a media report that stated "child has killed his mother based on PUBG that he has been playing". The incident took place in Lucknow last month.
According to PTI, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on July 22 said law enforcement agencies are investigating the matter. The minister also assured that its previous iteration, PUBG Mobile, remains banned in India from 2020.
Meanwhile, a company representative told India Today Tech, "We are clarifying how Battlegrounds mobile India was removed from the Google Play store and the App store and will let you know once we get specific information".
At the time of writing this article, users who already have Battlegrounds mobile India installed on their smartphones are still able to play the game. However, the company rolled out an update recently, which is worrying players over its potential ban.
Last year, when Battlegrounds Mobile India made its return to India, the maker said that it severed ties with China-based Tencent and data of Indian users would be safeguarded. The company had also tied up with Microsoft for Azure to host Battlegrounds Mobile India. Azure is Microsoft's public cloud computing service, empowering game creators to build, run, and grow their games on a global scale.
Excellent article
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