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Chinese investment company Tencent has partnered up with developer PUBG Corporation’s parent company Bluehole Inc to officially release PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds in China, we’ve learned via a translated press release from Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad.
As of right now the game is available on Steam as an unlicensed title in China, and China-based players make up 40% of the overall base across the world. To get an official release PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has to be published by a Chinese company and apply for a license from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT). The ball is now in motion with this partnership.
It’s understood that certain changes would have to be made to the game like altering the colour of blood and toning down the violence, as Ahmad notes on Twitter, in order to comply with parameters set by the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing association (CADPA) for Battle Royale games.
It’s not known yet whether PUBG will be pulled from Steam and placed on Tencent’s WeGame service. Ahmad mentioned on ResetEra that ‘If the game goes F2P, which may happen, then it could be removed from Steam,’ before adding the alternative that ‘they could work to integrate the International version into the Chinese version. Or there could be two separate versions.’
It’s all very much up in the air at the minute.
