PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Banned In Nepal Due To Addiction Concerns

Published: April 12, 2019 8:20 AM /

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Popular battle royale game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) was banned in another region yesterday. Nepal's federal investigation agency has asked that the country's Telecommunication Authority ban the game via internet service providers, mobile data networks and network services. As of April 11th, the game is now under a blanket ban on both mobile and desktop platforms, and anyone found playing the game will be arrested and prosecuted.

The ban comes after fears that the game is too violent and addicting for teenagers and other young people. PUBG has been under a lot of fire for its addictive qualities recently, and Nepal isn't the first place to have banned the game. Several different regions in India banned the game in March for similar reasons, eventually leading to the arrest of several college students who were found playing the mobile version of the game. Indonesia has also been considering a ban on the popular battle royale title.

The deputy director of the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA), Sandip Adhikari, claimed that the ban was due to parents concern that the game would distract children from their studies and daily routines, despite no incidents having actually been linked to the game. "We have ordered the ban on PUBG because it is addictive to children and teenagers,” he said when speaking to Reuters.

The recent bannings have been a cause for concern for many gamers as game addiction has been the subject of public outcry several times in the past. Many Reddit posters voiced the opinion that gaming was being used as a scapegoat in a similar way to previous concerns over video game violence causing real-world violence, as claimed by figures like Jack Thompson. Other commenters voiced the opinion that competing battle royale title Fortnite may also see similar bans in those countries.

What do you think about the bans? Are you concerned that the game will start being banned in other countries as well? Let us know what you think in the comments down below. 

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More Info About This Game
Learn more about PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
Developer
PUBG Corp
Publisher
Bluehole
Platforms
Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4
Release Date
December 21, 2017 (Calendar)
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