PUBG Mobile India downloaded over 10M times in just three days since release

Jul 5, 2021

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds released for Indian mobile users on July 2 and just three days later the game has surpassed 10M downloads in the region. Titled "Battlegrounds Mobile India" (BGMI) in that area, the game is not currently available for iOS users, but apparently will be coming soon to that platform.

To celebrate the 10M downloads milestone, Krafton has released an in-game outfit called the "Constable Set" which will be permanently added to players’ inventories. While the core game is the same, there are a few subtle differences between the original version of the game and BGMI, with "kills" now known as "finishes", as well as some slight aesthetic tweaks.

PUBG itself is a mobile gaming phenomenon, sitting as the biggest mobile battle royale title ever and seventh in terms of overall revenue, with Sensor reporting that the game had crossed 1B downloads and $5B in revenue back in March this year. That puts it seventh all-time in terms of the most popular mobile games, and billions ahead of nearest rival Garena Free Fire.

In addition to this, a NewZoo report from July 4 of this year reported that gaming is now a pastime for at least 3B people worldwide, with an incredible 55% of all players hailing from the Asia-Pacific region. In 2021, the global market was worth in excess of US$175B, and gaming accounts for 43% of all smartphone use currently.

With PUGB having made $2.8B from China so far, it is logical to assume the release of the game to Indian users will see another huge revenue spike for the Korean publishers Bluehole. The company is valued at $4.6B, with Tencent already having bought in, and keen to add to their 1.5% holding in the very near future, which would make them the second-largest shareholder behind founder Chang Byung-gyu.

Mobile esports gaming is also on the rise, with the industry generating US$19.5bn in 2020 and more than half of the worldwide playerbase on that platform. With the majority of gaming users on mobile, and mobile gaming accounting for US$100bn in revenue in 2029 this is a sector that will become more and more influential as time passes, not just for casual gamers but pros as well.