Tencent launches new game to cash in on PUBG popularity that pays homage to PLA air force

Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings has launched a new tactical shooting game to cash in on the mobile user base for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), as the world’s biggest games publisher by revenue has been unable to monetise the hugely popular battle royale mobile title without approval from China’s regulators.

The mobile version of the PUBG title closed in China on Wednesday, according to a notice on the game’s website, which directs users to a new title Game for Peace. Users can log into Game for Peace with their existing PUBG accounts and their data will automatically migrate to the new game, which has a similar interface and game play, according to Chinese tech media title 36kr.

Game for Peace pays tribute to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force in defending the country’s territory, according to the new game’s website. The game received monetisation approval from regulators last month, which means users can buy skins and other in-game items immediately.

The game is only available to players aged 16 or above, according to a separate announcement by Tencent on Wednesday, and will limit play time for those aged 16 to 18 to two hours per day.

The new game will allow Tencent to cash in on the large user base for the battle royale title after Chinese authorities paused gaming approvals for several months last year amid a regulatory reshuffle and as they stepped up measures to protect children’s health and prevent gaming addiction. In a rolling campaign to clean up the country’s cyberspace, China has also moved to ban violent, sexual and politically sensitive content across many platforms, from television shows to video games.

Tencent is PUBG’s sole distributor in China, but it has yet to release the game’s original PC version in the country and has been unable to monetise the mobile version with the same title. PUBG Corporation is a subsidiary of South Korean video game company Bluehole.