Not just in India, PUBG Mobile was banned in these countries in 2020

Popular video game series PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or PUBG, has not just witnessed growth but also various setbacks in recent times.

It is a known fact that PUBG among the most downloaded game on the Play Store but very few know that the game has been banned in nearly 10 countries.

India banned PUBG this year under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The Government of India said the PUBG Mobile Application was engaged in activities that are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity, defence and security of the country.

India is just one of the many countries that have banned the battle royale game. Other countries where the game is banned include China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Korea, Jordan, Nepal, Israel, and Iraq.

The prime reasons why countries banned PUBG were--the game is too addictive, it does not care about its users' health, does not warn about the ill effects of the screentime, and propagates violence.

CHINA:

One of the most surprising names on the list of countries banning PUBG is China that's because Tencent Games, which is the official distributor for PUBG Mobile is a Chinese entity.

However, as per several media reports, China banned PUBG because of the amount of bloodshed in the game. Tencent has now replaced a separate version of the game called Game For Peace to adjust with the country's regulations.

In the Game For Peace, the blood is shown in green colour, and instead of shooters lying in a pool of blood, they would wave goodbye and fly off.

PAKISTAN:

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) banned PUBG as it received complaints that the game was too addictive and had adverse health effects on children's physical and psychological health. But the PTA had to lift the ban on the game after several petitions were filed in the Islamabad High Court.

AFGHANISTAN:

Afghanistan's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA) suspended PUBG. The ATRA consulted various ministries, psychologists, parents, school headmasters, cybersecurity experts, and more before handing out this suspension.

NEPAL:

In Nepal, PUBG got banned after a verdict by the Kathmandu district court on a PIL by the Metropolitan Crime Division. The PIL said that the game had adverse effects on children. After the ban was implemented, multiple petitions were filed in the supreme court of Nepal, which then overturned the ban.

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