According to leaks from Player IGN, a reliable source for PUBG updates, the PC esports scene for PUBG Battlegrounds may be coming to an end in China.
PUBG Battlegrounds, developed and published by Krafton, is a globally popular battle royale game. Its PC version's success led to highly successful mobile adaptations, despite bans in several countries. The PC edition remains available worldwide.
Krafton recently launched PUBG Continental Series 5 (PCS5), streamed on Chinese platforms. However, major streaming sites have begun removing the game.
China's recent crackdown on gambling and gaming includes strict limits—minors can only play three hours per week—impacting game publishers significantly.
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Reports from IGN Player and The Gamer confirm that platforms like DouYu and egame.qq have delisted PUBG entirely. Even as PCS5—the qualifier for PMGC 2021—continues, old videos are being deleted or redirected to Valorant pages, per Coming Soon.
This aligns with prior government actions, such as the PUBG Mobile ban for promoting violence. Tencent responded with a toned-down version, Game for Peace (now Peacekeeper Elite), similar to India's Battlegrounds Mobile India.
The changes may stem from Tencent's self-censorship after a recent regulatory meeting. While Krafton hasn't commented officially, Chinese teams like NewHappy and Games Forever Young have been informed.
Such a ban would devastate China's PUBG market, halting streamer broadcasts and disrupting the esports ecosystem.
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