PUBG Mobile could return soon with Jio Platforms, talks yet to finalize

If you loved playing PUBG Mobile and wish for it to come back soon, there is good news for you. PUBG’s corporation is in talks with Reliance Jio to bring back the game to our shores. If all ends up well, Jio Platforms will start distributing PUBG Mobile for Indian players. The developer is currently looking for a full-fledged long-term partnership with the Reliance Jio for the future.

The news comes from a The Hindu BusinessLine report, stating the talks are underway. Jio and PUBG are currently under discussions to bring back the game to India. It is said that PUBG has long-term plans for the game in India and it is looking for a local partner to that. PUBG previously tied with Tencent Games of China for distributing PUBG Mobile in India.

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“The talks are in an early stage, which began just after the government’s second round of bans. Officials from both the sides are working out the contours of how to structure various aspects of the deal,” said one of the sources close to the matter. “Legal experts from both sides are exploring possibilities on how revenues should be split, whether it would be 50:50 or Jio guaranteeing PUBG revenues based on a fixed number of users every month,” sources added.

Reliance Jio has garnered a lot of investment from big players in the industry for its Jio Platforms. If the deal works out, distributing PUBG Mobile will be a big deal for Jio Platforms. Additionally, PUBG Mobile will be back in India, catering to millions of players on smartphones. The game is a big source of revenue for PUBG, given that it has more than 175 million installations from India alone. This accounts for a quarter of its installations worldwide.

What remains to be seen is whether the deal brings back the game as a whole or with some changes. There are chances for Jio Platforms to make a host of changes suit the Indian players. Players can expect a lot of localized content as well as new game modes. In the past, PUBG Mobile borrowed all the features from Call of Duty: Mobile, another game published by Tencent in India.

PUBG Mobile ban: The story so far

The Indian government recently banned a total of 118 apps of Chinese origin. PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite were among the banned apps, owing to their publishers being Tencent. Soon after the ban, PUBG Corporation severed its licensing ties with Tencent Games. Since the Indian government now requires localization, PUBG is in a lookout for a local partner to bring back the game.