New data shared by mobile data and analytics company App Annie reveals the extent of PUBG Mobile’s popularity in India, prior to its ban.
According to App Annie, PUBG Mobile was the top game by WAU, time spent, and consumer spend in India – and was twice as large as the next biggest game by time spent in India. As of the week ending August 22nd, the game had 32 million weekly active users in India. PUBG Mobile had PUBG Mobile is also the top game worldwide by WAU.
Given the game’s immense popularity in the region, its ban will create clear dent in Tencent’s revenue – and open up opportunities for competing Battle Royale titles. Garena Free Fire and Call of Duty: Mobile are the two other Battle Royale titles in the top 10 in India, and now have clear opportunities for growth with their main competition taken out of the market.
PUBG Mobile was one of 118 mostly Chinese apps banned in India this week, with the government citing cybersecurity concerns and an increase of geopolitical tensions between the two neighbouring countries. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology justified the bans by stating that the apps were “engaged in activities which [are] prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state, and public order.”
Specifically, the Ministry accused the apps of “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.”
As well as PUBG Mobile, the list of banned games include NetEase’s Knives Out and Marvel Super War.
