Two weeks ago, we learned Tencent was still pursuing the acquisition of PUBG creator Bluehole—having had a bid turned down prior to the online shooter's runaway success. Now, it appears the Chinese tech giant has secured the rights to officially release PUBG in China.
Last month, the Chinese content watchdog criticised PUBG for deviating from "socialist core values". According to Reuters, this consideration is central to Tencent's takeover, with the latter saying this in a statement:
"[Tencent] will make adjustment to content... and make sure they accord with socialist core values, Chinese traditional culture and moral rules."
In turn, it's thought this iteration of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds will offer "healthy, positive cultural and value guidance, especially for underage users."
To this end, games industry person and Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad tweeted the following earlier today (h/t Venturebeat):
Tencent just announced that it will be the exclusive operator of PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS in China after partnering with Bluehole. Will be official China server + emphasis on banning cheaters + making the game work around regulations. pic.twitter.com/q02njDxiLwNovember 22, 2017
