Report: 67% of smartphone gamers shifted to COD Mobile post-PUBG Mobile ban in India

Back in September, the PUBG Mobile player base in India was met with extremely saddening news that their favorite game would no longer be available. Along with 117 other apps with Chinese ties, the game was banned by the Indian Government on account of security and privacy concerns.

PUBG Mobile had been a roaring success in every shape and form and was one of the country's biggest games. It was responsible for an unprecedented rise in the popularity of multiplayer games and mobile gaming in general.

The growth was fast and significant, as PUBG Mobile became the industry gold-standard in mobile gaming. This also meant that it wasn't too long before other titles came up and competed with this battle royale shooter.

COD Mobile is essentially a smartphone version of the console and PC industry juggernaut, Call of Duty. The game received a lot of praise for its signature responsive gunplay mechanics and was a fierce competitor to PUBG Mobile since its launch last year.

Report: Two-thirds of mobile gamers migrated to COD Mobile after the suspension of PUBG Mobile in India

Image via CMR India

In a post-PUBG Mobile era, other games with battle royale and multiplayer modes were bound to get popular, and it seems like COD Mobile has taken the lead. According to a CMR India report, surveys indicate that nearly 67% of PUBG Mobile players have now shifted to this title.

Even before the suspension, COD Mobile was seen as a legitimate threat to PUBG Mobile, given the kind of solid reputation the Call of Duty franchise has been able to garner on consoles and PCs.

It is now evidenced by numbers that COD Mobile is an extremely popular title amongst gaming audiences in India. Touch controls were always going to be an issue, but it seems like the devs have found a way to translate the signature Call of Duty gunplay to touch controls as well.

However, seeing as PUBG Mobile may have been given a lifeline in the form of a tie-up with Microsoft Azure, it remains to be seen if COD Mobile will be able to retain its position atop if the former was to make a comeback.