It seems like PUBG Mobile’s Esports future in Indian is in a dark place as the pro players are taking quite a hefty blow after the GOI’s ban. Parichay Bansal, better known as Paradox, revealed that the organization he was playing for, Megastars, has decided to retire its players. The move came just five days after the Indian Government issued a ban on PUBG Mobile in the country for security concerns. The team was one of the top names in the Indian PUBG Mobile scene, now finds itself with an uncertain future.
The GOI’s ban has shaken the entire Indian Esports and gaming industry. The title was by far the most popular in the subcontinent and single-handedly put gaming as a mainstream profession in the region. PUBG Mobile stimulates an ecosystem of content creators, influencers, streamers, professional players, and tournament organizers. Many of whom rely solely on the game’s success and popularity to earn a living. Now with the title removed from the Indian market, many find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Megastars Disband PUBG Mobile Roster
The Megastars is one of the first big names to pull the trigger in the Indian PUBG Mobile scene, as announced by Paradox on his Instagram. He said that the organization decided to shut down its PUBG Mobile roster after the ban on the game. Paradox also thanked the organization for supporting him and his fellow players in their journey and wished them the best.
Team Megastars was one of the 7 Indian teams to compete in the recently concluded PUBG Mobile World League Season Zero. It finished in 10th place in the Eastern Division and was scheduled to play in PMPL Season 2, which was supposed to kick off later this month.
Most of the organizations in the Indian Esports ecosystem have invested a fortune in PUBG Mobile over the last few years. Foreign organizations such as Fnatic, TSM, Nova Esports, and Galaxy Racer also found themselves in an awkward spot. Continuing supporting their players seems to be the right thing to do, but there is a realistic side to the story. PUBG Mobile may remain banned permanently in India. In that case, it would make no sense financially to keep paying expenses for player salaries and boot camps.
Organizations are finding new approaches to utilize their resources such as switching to other games. After the ban on PUBG, Garena Free Fire, and Call of Duty: Mobile are expected to take the lion’s share that PUBG Mobile leaves behind. Given the situation, it’s hard for owners and organizations not to consider these options. Either switch or disband the entire roster. If the ban prolongs, we may expect to see more pro-PUBG Mobile players going on their separate ways.
The Indian Esports scene has seen booming in the last few years with continuous investment pouring in from both domestic and foreign sources. Much of this has been credited to PUBG Mobile. With the game being banned at short notice, there are many things that need to be considered. A couple of upcoming weeks will be an important time as stakeholders continue to monitor the situation and take actions based on what’s going on.
However, hope is still on the horizon. PUBG Corp. has officially revoked Tencent Games’ publishing rights of PUBG Mobile for the Indian market. Instead, the company will take over the development duties itself. Given the Indian Government’s concerns of data security fallen into the hands of Chinese authorities, this may just be the move we need. Moving the executive rights into the control of a Korean-based company will solve the issue. Now, all we can do is to hope that the GOI and PUBG Corp. can find a middle ground.