‘PUBG’ Has Been Banned In Nepal

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) was released in December, 2017. The high-intensity first-person shooting game was initially released exclusively for PC and Xbox gamers, but its developers eventually decided to port the game over to mobile devices and released a version, PUBG Mobile, for both Android and iOS devices. The developers later decided to offer the game on Sony’s PlayStation 4, as previously reported by The Inquisitr.

The game’s popularity has grown tremendously since its release and it now has players from all over the world. However, it seems several countries have decided to ban the game due to the effect the game’s graphic gameplay is having on children.

Most recently, the game has been banned in Nepal, according to a report from The Verge.

PUBG is highly combative and facilitates up to 100 players playing solo, in duos, or squads of four. Each match begins with all 100 players parachuting from a plane and landing on one of four islands: Erangel, Miramar, Sanhok, or Vikendi. Upon landing, players must then hurry to find the items needed to help them to be the last person or team alive at the end of the game. The game offers several loot items, including armor, weapons, medicine, and even an impenetrable frying pan. As the game continues, the players are forced closer together by a constantly shrinking zone. Players who fall outside the zone will continue to lose health points until they die or make their way back into the zone.

The game consists of several guns, including high-powered assault rifles and sniper weapons, which players can use to shoot and kill their opponents. There is also the option of blowing players up with grenades.

According to the report, it’s this graphic gameplay that has caused the recent ban in Nepal and the country is even prepared to arrest folks who continue to play the game.

“We received a number of complaints from parents, schools, and school associations regarding the effect of the game on children. When we consulted with psychiatrists, they also said that the violence in the game can make people aggressive in real life,” Senior Superintendent of Police Dhiraj Pratap Singh explained to The Kathmandu Post.

The game has also been banned in China and parts of India for the same reason, as previously reported by The Inquisitr.

In India, 11-year-old Ahad Nizam filed a public interest litigation because he believed that the game “promotes violence, aggression, and cyber-bullying” and that it isn’t a productive use of time for children. In some areas of the country, police have been arresting people for playing the game, according to another report from The Verge.

There are many similar games on the market so it is currently unclear why lawmakers are coming down so hard on PUBG, but The Verge did reach out to the company for comment.