What you need to know
- Bangalore-based nCore Games is set to launch a PUBG Mobile clone in India called FAU-G in the coming days.
- We don't have any details on the gameplay, but it is likely FAU-G will emulate the same visual style and mechanics as PUBG.
- 20% of the revenue from micro-transactions within the game will go towards a fund set up for veterans of India's armed forces.
PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite are now banned in India following an Indian government directive aimed at Chinese-origin games and services, and the games have been de-listed from the Play Store. We've rounded out the best alternatives if you're looking to fill the void left by the battle royale title, and it looks like there will be another contender joining the fray.
Indian video game industry veteran Vishal Gondal announced on Twitter that Bangalore-based game studio nCore Games — where he's an advisor — is introducing a PUBG Mobile Alternative dubbed FAU-G. The acronym stands for Fearless And United: Guards and is a play on the Hindi word Fauji, which means soldier.
Gondal currently serves as the CEO of local wearable manufacturer GOQii, and he founded Indiagames back in 1999, a video game publisher that was sold to Disney in 2011 for $80 million. The game also has Bollywood star Akshay Kumar in a "mentorship" role, and the actor shared on Twitter that 20% of the revenue from the game will go to a trust dedicated to veterans of India's armed forces.
As for the game itself, we don't know much about the gameplay. but judging by the timing of the announcement, it will be a PUBG Mobile clone. Similar to the TikTok ban from a few months ago — which led to a wave of local social networks that tried to emulate the service — nCore Games is taking advantage of a massive hole left in India's mobile gaming segment with the ban on PUBG.
FAU-G is slated to launch soon, so we should have more details on the game shortly. One of the best things about PUBG Mobile was its ability to play reliably even on budget phones, so we'll have to wait and see if FAU-G retains that particular trait.
