Can we play PUBG with VPN after a complete ban is imposed by the government?

PlayerUnknown’s BattleGround, better known as PUBG, is an insanely popular battle royale game that millions around the world are obssessed with. The game has been creating waves in the online gaming community since releasing back in 2017 and has also established a huge presence in the esports industry.

India has always been one of the biggest markets for the Tencent-owned video game, amassing over 175 million installations from India alone. However, the battle royale game is now banned in the country by the Ministry of Information & Technology as part of its latest crackdown on Chinese-linked mobile applications. PUBG is among the 118 Chinese-controlled mobile apps that have been suspended for use in India after a fresh round of confrontation with Chinese troops in Ladakh. While a number of users may have embraced the suspension, there are many Indian gamers wondering how to play PUBG after ban in the country.

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Can we play PUBG with VPN?

People who have PUBG already installed on their smartphones are still able to run it and participate in matches. The video game is also available on both Google Play and the App Store for download as of now, but it’s inevitable that it will eventually stop once the suspension is enforced.

This has left a certain section of users looking for alternatives, however, there is understandably a large number of fans who are still clinging on to their favourite battle royale title. For now, one of the viable solutions for these fans appears to be the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN). With the help of VPN programs, Indian users should be able to continue to play PUBG on their iOS and Android devices by switching to foreign servers, despite the ban in the country.

However, this is not advisable since the game is said to be unsafe for use. The IT Ministry has stated that the 118 banned mobile apps were involved in activities that risked the sovereignty and integrity of the country, and were also prejudicial to the defence, security of the state and public order.

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When will PUBG be banned?

While PUBG is still playable on mobile phones, it will be no longer functional once a complete ban is enforced. This will also require the ISPs in the country to blacklist every host-name and domain name associated with the game. Similar to earlier bans, the process may take a couple of days.

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Image credits: PUBG