'Player Unknown's Battlegrounds' News: Tencent To Localize Battle Royale Game In China
Chinese mega-conglomerate Tencent has reached a deal with Bluehole subsidiary PUBG Corp. to localize "Player Unknown's Battlegrounds" officially into the Chinese games market. As part of the agreement, Bluehole will implement changes to the battle royale title in order to conform to Chinese laws.
"We will do our best to present a great game to the Chinese users in close cooperation with the company," said C.H. Kim, chief executive officer of PUBG Corp. "Tencent will localize and operate the game by catering to the preferences of Chinese gamers. We will also offer a different, fun experience on PC."
However, in a statement released by Tencent, the gaming giant says that it will go a step further and alter the game to better align with "socialist core values, Chinese traditional culture and moral rules." The company has not been entirely clear on what these changes will entail although there have been precedents.
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Reuters, who translated Tencent's statement, pointed out that the Chinese giant's competitor NetEase has accomplished something similar by adding actual government propaganda to the game. These include adding red banners into its battleground with slogans such as 'safeguard national security, safeguard world peace.' While Tencent might not opt for something similar, it will definitely be a noticeable change to the game once it's implemented.
Tencent's deal with PUBG Corp. follows a string of a string of high-profile investments and acquisitions in the gaming industry by the mega-conglomerate over the past several years. These include investments in Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, and Supercell.
It is also the owner of WeGame, a digital distribution platform that competes with Valve-owned Steam and PUBG's current platform. So far, Tencent has not announced whether the battle royale title will be retained on Steam or transferred to its own platform.
"Player Unknown's Battlegrounds" has sold more than 20 million copies and continues to occupy the top spot on Steam. The game is also scheduled to arrive on Xbox One next month with three limited edition cosmetic packs exclusive to the platform.
