After only just a week old ban on PUBG Mobile in the city of Surat and Rajkot, 10 college students were arrested for playing PUBG mobile in public. The Battle Royal sensation was banned in both cities with a police-issued directive stating any person found playing PUBG Mobile in public is liable for prosecution.
In a country where gaming isn’t seen as a viable career option by most, the trend of PUBG is growing at a rapid rate. The PUBG Mobile recently hosted its biggest tournament PUBG Mobile India Series 2019 where the winners were rewarded with a big prize from a pool of 1 Crore INR. Yet there is a state in India that has banned the mobile game.
According to the government, the game is so addictive that the youth is spending most of their productive hours playing the Battle Royal game. Not only the addiction but the aggressive nature of the game is one of the reasons for it to be banned. Rohit Raval of Special Operation Groups told The Indian Express that, “This game is highly addictive and the accused offenders were so engrossed in playing that they could not even notice our team approaching them.”
PUBG Mobile issues statement
After the arrest news was out, the PUBG Mobile issued a statement on March 15th to the media addressing about the system they are looking forward to introducing in India to promote healthy gaming environment in the country. The full statement issued is: