PUBG Mobile's India Avatar 'Battlegrounds' Tipped to Release on June 18

PUBG Mobile's India variant, Battlegrounds Mobile India, could release on June 18, a report suggests. PUBG Mobile was banned in the country back in September 2020. South Korean developer Krafton has not shared a release date for Battlegrounds Mobile India but is in the processes of finalising it. The game is already up for pre-registration in the country for Android users through the Google Play store. However, the game's community of users reportedly believes that Battlegrounds Mobile India could release on June 10.

Krafton announced Battlegrounds Mobile India earlier this month and put it up for pre-registration on Tuesday (May 18) for Android users. Ever since the announcement, fans have been eagerly waiting for a release date and the latest update from the developer is that a date is being finalised, as per the support page of the official website. Now, a report by IGN India citing industry sources states the game could launch on June 18, exactly one month after pre-registrations opened.

While this does seem like a realistic release timeline, Krafton has not confirmed it officially so it's best not to take this information as gospel. The report also states that the community believes Battlegrounds Mobile India will launch on June 10.

Battlegrounds Mobile India will be a free-to-play battle royale game with essentially the same gameplay as PUBG Mobile, but with some tweaks. Krafton said Battlegrounds Mobile India will bring exclusive in-game features such as outfits, as well as an esports ecosystem that will include tournaments and leagues. The developer has teased one of the maps – Sanhok – and the Google Play store page for the game shows other maps as well.

Interestingly, the Google Play store URL for Battlegrounds Mobile India has the text ‘PUBG Mobile' that is believed to be for its SEO value on the store, though Krafton has not shared any clarification for this. Battlegrounds Mobile India pre-registrations are exclusive to Android users and will give them India-specific rewards that can be claimed when the game officially launches.