Tencent Shuts Down PUBG Mobile in China For Patriotic Alternative

Tencent has pulled the plug on its wildly popular video game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) in China, a likely victim of government restrictions on gaming. From a report: Instead, the company is migrating users over to a similar title, Heping Jingying or Elite Force for Peace. Heping Jingying has already been approved for monetization by the Chinese Communist party, thanks in no small part to its patriotic overtones. One analyst described the game as 'a tribute to the People's Liberation Army Air Force' -- part of China's national military -- with anti-terrorism themes. PUBG Mobile launched in March last year, and has become one of the world's most popular video games, with as many players as Fortnite. According to estimates from China Renaissance, the game had roughly 70 million domestic players, which would have allowed Tencent to generate annual revenues from in-app purchases of roughly $1.18 billion to $1.48 billion.

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