PUBG Mobile, a remarkably successful mobile game, will cease operations and become inaccessible to players in India on October 30th, a period of two months after the Indian government prohibited the game within the nation’s second-largest internet market, citing concerns regarding cybersecurity.

On September 2nd, India banned PUBG Mobile Nordic Map: Livik and PUBG Mobile Lite, alongside over 100 other applications with connections to China. This action followed an earlier ban in late June that targeted TikTok and numerous other widely-used Chinese apps.

The country’s IT Ministry stated on both occasions that these applications posed a threat to India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, its defense capabilities, national security, and public order.

However, in contrast to other impacted apps that were quickly removed from access—often within hours—PUBG Mobile applications remained available for users in India who had already downloaded them onto their mobile phones, tablets, and personal computers. In fact, according to data from a leading mobile analytics company, PUBG Mobile maintained over 90% of its monthly active user base in the country, a market heavily reliant on mobile devices where 99% of smartphones operate on the Android platform, even after the government’s directive.

(After the ban was implemented, both Google and Apple removed PUBG Mobile applications from their respective app stores in India. Subsequently, online guides detailing methods to circumvent the ban and acquire and install the apps gained popularity across various online forums.)

PUBG Mobile boasted approximately 50 million monthly active users in India, significantly exceeding the user numbers of Call of Duty: Mobile, Fortnite, and all other mobile games available in the country.

“PUBG Mobile fostered an entire ecosystem—including esports organizations, competitive teams, and a growing community of streamers who capitalized on the game’s engaging spectator experience,” explained Rishi Alwani, a veteran analyst of the Indian gaming landscape and the publisher of The Mako Reactor news platform.

“While Tencent played a substantial role in developing this ecosystem, the game’s inherent quality was notably superior to what most Indian players were accustomed to on their smartphones. This quality is a key reason why players continued to return, with some even generating income through the game,” he further noted.

PUBG Mobile, headquartered in South Korea, attempted to address New Delhi’s concerns by severing its relationship with Tencent, the company responsible for publishing and distributing the game in India.

In a statement released on Thursday, PUBG Mobile affirmed, “the protection of user data has consistently been a primary concern, and we have always adhered to all relevant data protection laws and regulations within India. All user gameplay data is handled with complete transparency, as outlined in our privacy policy.”

“We are deeply disappointed by this outcome, and we extend our sincere gratitude for the support and enthusiasm shown towards PUBG Mobile in India,” the statement concluded.