It’s been an amazing year for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the battle royale shooter that turned a South Korean MMO studio into a household name. The game has sold more than 20 million copies before leaving Early Access, which is expected to happen in late December, and has become a worldwide phenomenon. But a new report suggests 2018 could bring even bigger success, if you can imagine it, for PUBG publisher Bluehole and developer PUBG Corporation.
A news item on Tencent’s QQ social platform suggests the gargantuan holding company didn’t just secure distribution rights for Battlegrounds’ PC client. The company will work with Bluehole to develop a mobile version of the beloved battle royale shooter. Details on the alleged mobile port are in short supply. It’s not clear which device(s) the two companies would target, or whether or not the mobile version would utilize the same servers as the PC version and/or the upcoming Xbox One port. The report does say Tencent wants the mobile version to have all the same features as the Early Access build. But that sounds like a stretch on the current crop of mobile hardware, even if you’re carrying an iPhone X or Galaxy Note 8.
The recently announced deal between Tencent and Bluehole, which gives complete authority to operate (not just distribute) PUBG in China, is already receiving some scrutiny from the community. Some players assume the game, along with the mammoth holding company “officially” bringing Battlegrounds to China, will help the government monitor gamers as part of the upcoming the Social Credit System. There haven’t been any public declarations of such an arrangement, but it’s not exactly something Tencent or the Communist Party would publish a press release about.
We’ve reached out to a Bluehole representative, requesting clarification on the mobile port story, and will update this post if/when we have more information.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is available in Early Access. The launch build is expected to hit Steam in late December and a Xbox One port is currently slated for Dec. 12.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds news in 2017 and as long as PUBG Corp. supports PUBG in the years ahead.
