Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
It looks like one of the grandfathers of the modern battle royale is going by the wayside in Afghanistan. Recent reports have suggested that the Taliban have successfully ordered PUBG be banned from access in the country. This ban comes after the militant group strived for bans on TikTok and certain TV channels in addition to the popular battle royale game, but PUBG is the first among the bunch to actually be banned by the order.
The banning PUBG in Afghanistan was reported earlier this week by the Afghan-based Khaama Press news outlet. According to the outlet, the Taliban expects the ban against PUBG and TikTok to go into effect within the next three months. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Telecommunications made the decision in a meeting with reps of the country’s security sector and Sharia law enforcement administration. It follows similar bans against PUBG that have gone into effect in both Pakistan and India. In Afghanistan’s case, it reasoned that PUBG should be banned for ‘promoting violence’ and ‘misleading youth’. What’s more, players attempting to circumvent the ban will put themselves at risk as use of activity hiding programs such as Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications are also prohibited.
The Taliban actually sought a ban on PUBG and TikTok earlier in 2022. Back in April, BBC reported that the group had lobbied its initial demand for a ban on the applications. However, the details of the ban and timeline of its implementation were only just agreed upon in the recent meeting and its decision. This also comes after PUBG went free-to-play earlier this year, making it more accessible on PC, consoles, and mobile devices to players the world around.
With the ban going into effect in Afghanistan, and the game banned in other countries, it will remain to be seen if this is the last ban we see in the region. Stay tuned as we follow for further updates.