Most people would not know what PlayerUnknown’s Battleground would ever mean. But there wouldn’t be anyone who would fail to recognize its shorter and better-known name, PUBG.
The game, with over 33 million active users in India, was banned by the Centre on September 2 by invoking Section 69(A) of the IT Act. The order said the app was engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.’
A whole crop of PUBG-lovers, immersed in the vicissitudes of the game, are but heart-broken.
“It was not just a game. We were building a career on it,” said Kannur-native Sahad I K R, 21, manager of Brutal Esports. Sahad is among several youngsters in the state who are disappointed by the ban.
These youths were hopeful initially as PUBG was not part of the 59 Chinese apps banned by the Union government on June 29. But it was short-lived.
Sahad and his partners at Brutal Esports had found sponsors and was planning a major PUBG tournament with prize money of Rs 10,000. The ban was a bolt from the blue for a set of revenue models which were cashing in on the huge popularity of PUBG among Kerala youth. The events planned ranged from tournaments to live-streaming of PUBG.
Pattambi-native Muhammad Ramees MP, 22, owns a YouTube channel called ‘Kaztro Gaming.’ It had over 6 lakh subscribers and used to live-stream PUBG games. “There are several PUBG mobile content creators who make several lakhs out of it. It was a career option at the time of lockdown,” said Ramees.
“The popularity of PUBG peaked during the lockdown. No other mobile games could bring the effect brought about by PUBG. It is a devastating moment for various gamers,” he said.
Ramees said there was no point in opposing the ban as it had been imposed citing national security.
Online rally
When the rumours of the first ban (of June) spread, PUBG-lovers of the state responded in typical ‘Malayali’ style, but with a twist. On July 27, a group of PUBG-lovers organized an online protest rally using PUBG as a platform.
“The rally was organized through a WhatsApp group which directed all players to start gaming at 8.15am on July 27. As directed, the players landed on the virtual land, Pochinki, and walked to another site, Georgepool. Normally, players are supposed to ‘kill’ one another. But all walked without weapons. Some got killed midway, though,” said Ralph Robert, who was an active PUBG user till a few weeks ago.
Ralph could only watch the live-streaming through a YouTube channel ‘Killer Gaming’ as the participants had touched the maximum limit of 100.
The protest rally was unique in many ways, but it couldn’t prevent the eventual ban.
Ralph said the ban had affected several youngsters who were addicted to it. “It would have psychological impact as many spent several hours gaming. Players who spend money to reach the next level will be the most affected,” he said.
Alma Lissy Mathew, 19, a final year hotel management student, said she used to spend 3-5 hours on the game each day. “I started using it in the past two years but became more regular during the lockdown.
However, I don’t think that the ban would affect me. Some of my friends who are into it are looking for other options such as ‘Call of Duty,’ which is not as impressive as PUBG. PUBG would introduce new features every time and so those who play even for 4-5 years would never get bored,” she said.
Ajinu Ajeesh, a mother of eight-year-old PUBG player Rahan Raj, said she was relieved by the ban. “Rahan used to spend a minimum of three hours on it. Now, he immediately switched to another game, Freefire,” said Ajinu, who was an active Tik Tok user until the ban came into effect. “Now, I find more free time after the Tik Tok ban,” she said.
(Jisha Surya is an independent journalist based in Thiruvananthapuram)
