FAU-G (Fearless and United Guards) announced their official launch date on January 26, paving the way for the game to make a big splash in the Indian gaming market. With the arrival of FAU-G, PUBG Mobile India is now on the backfoot and their potential relaunch on March 2021 will all depend on the stance of the Government of India and how their relationship with China materializes. PUBG Mobile India has been banned in India since September 2020 when the Government of India banned PUBG Mobile and 118 Chinese apps under 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act citing national security issues. However, this has not meant that PUBG Mobile users have remained silent.
When FAU-G was launched, PUBG Mobile India users were indirectly criticising the graphics of the game which looked a bit out of date. PUBG Mobile India’s battle royale mode and FAU-G’s episodic structure was also slightly criticised although there was nothing untoward. Meanwhile, FAU-G users also took a dig at PUBG Mobile India gamers stating that they would have to play the waiting game for a longer time.
Advantage FAU-G
With FAU-G launching on January 26, the game is all set to capture the Indian market as they look to give the Make in India initiative a solid push. PUBG Mobile India, on the other hand, tried to get a meeting with the Government of India seeking a relaunch but in an RTI query, the Government of India flatly denied to give permission to PUBG Mobile India to launch in the country.
MEITY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) had clearly stated that the ban was a blanket ban and that there was no special permission given to one entity for a relaunch. PUBG Mobile India had created some excitement in November 2020 around the Diwali period when it announced that they were planning on making a relaunch.
FAU-G is all set to capture the Indian market in a big way but they will have to hope their graphics and gameplay interface is enhanced so that PUBG Mobile India users do not have any room for criticism. The trailer itself suggested that there was little blood and gore in FAU-G while PUBG Mobile has fallen prey to many institutions who have called for censoring the content due to the violence and impact that it has on children.
