PUBG Mobile has been growing exponentially in India. While the success of the game was mainly led by YouTubers and content creators, the core behind that success is the game’s acceptance by the media. During its rise into the most played videogame in India, PUBG Mobile was able to grab headlines, airwaves and more – which further spread its name and influence.
A lot of famous and influential people have been involving with the game in some way: from the national cricket team’s obsession with various movie stars, celebrities, and influencers… even the Prime Minister has mentioned the game in one of his talks. This is a very significant edge that PUBG has in the Indian market. On top of all this, PUBG Mobile India has been actively made efforts to create new and unique regional content for the country – from documentaries/player stories to mini-series/web series.
A prime example of this is the “Dosti Ka Naya Maidan” series, a collaboration between PUBG Mobile and various people from different walks of life. The five-episode series is based on PUBG Mobile and how people’s lives revolve around it. Each story is a new and relatable story, from a streamer convincing his parents to two roommates bonding over a game. The series was very well received – it has gathered over twenty million views after just five episodes.
Esports and Celebrity culture have also been merged as well. Last year, a documentary featuring three pro players was created as part of India’s biggest PUBG Mobile tournament of the year. Three top players: Tanmay “Sc0utOP” Singh, Naman “MortaL” Mathur and Gopal “Carry” Sarda was the star of the show, with the documentary focused on their struggles in the go-pro journey and how they deal with the newfound glories and success. The short has shown to people the hidden side behind the games, a side that most people haven’t seen before – it has scored over a million views on YouTube.
It is clear that Tencent has big plans for PUBG Mobile in India – and based on their roadmap for 2020, this is going to be the biggest year yet for the game. For more information about PUBG Mobile, please check out this post on how the game is being molded into a cultural phenomenon.