A corporate logo of Krafton (Krafton)
South Korean giant Krafton’s popular battle-royale format game Battleground Mobile India, the Indian version of its global blockbuster PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, has received a download ban in India, its Seoul headquarters confirmed on Friday.
Both Google and Apple pulled the gaming app from their respective app stores on Thursday, citing the Indian government’s ban order.
“We are still checking the situation with local authorities,” a Krafton spokesman said without giving further details, including the exact reason for the government order.
“Users in India who had already downloaded the app can still play the game smoothly,” the official added.
The latest ban comes after India banned the original version, better known as PUBG, along with more than 100 apps believed to be linked to China amid escalating tensions between the two rival countries.
At the time, PUBG was distributed in India by Krafton’s publishing partner Tencent, the Chinese tech giant.
Krafton managed to return to the market last year with the revamped Indian version, also known as BGMI, after cutting ties with Tencent and pledging a $100 million investment aimed at boosting India’s gaming ecosystem. As of July, more than 100 million users have downloaded the new app.
Speculation is growing about the reasons for the latest ban. Among the speculations, some pointed to a case in June, in which Indian authorities launched an investigation into a boy accused of killing his mother under the influence of the BGMI.
Amid investor jitters about the business outlook in one of Krafton’s key markets, its shares fell 4.5 percent to close at 233,500 won ($180) on Friday. The benchmark Kospi closed 0.67 percent higher compared to the previous trading day.
By Byun Hye-jin (hyejin2@heraldcorp.com)