PUBG Mobile was one of the biggest mobile games in India before its ban. And due to the lockdowns enforced because of the coronavirus pandemic, the game started seeing a rise in the number of concurrent players. However, since its ban, Indian gamers have been looking for other alternatives.
Previously, PUBG Mobile players could still play the game if it was installed on their handsets before the ban, but the game recently completely stopped working in the country. Now that PUBG Mobile is disabled in India, some of the most popular alternatives, Call of Duty: Mobile, Garena Free Fire, Fortnite, and Battlelands Royale, are all reporting steady growth.
Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, said, “It is very interesting to note that the PUBG ban had a rather transitory impact on slowing down mobile gaming in India. Beyond the initial state of shock, PUBG users took to other mobile games. Games such as ”Call of Duty Mobile” and ”Garena Free Fire” benefited from the PUBG ban.”
The CMR survey conducted in eight cities suggested that Call of Duty Mobile saw a 67-percent increase in gaming since the ban. COD Mobile was followed by Garena Free Fire with 47 percent increase, Fortnite with 36 percent, and Battleground Royale with 34 percent. However, these numbers could dramatically increase in the coming days.
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The CMR report suggests a noticeable uptick in mobile gaming in the country due to the lockdown. According to the report, three out of five serious gamers have increased their playtime as compared to pre-lockdown. The report added that Indians recorded seven hours of gaming a week before the lockdown. The data also showed that 15-percent of mobile gamers shifted from playing freemium games to paid games.
According to the report, an average Indian has at least seven games installed on their phone. In terms of the breakdown, most Indians play action or adventure games, followed by first-person shooters. Lastly, CMR reported that 47-percent of participants played games for fun, whereas 40-percent said they played to relieve stress. Qualcomm and MediaTek were among the dominant smartphone chipsets used by mobile gamers.
