TENCENT Holdings Ltd. said yesterday it will stop offering in China its test version of global best-selling video game “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” (PUBG), having waited in vain for over a year to gain regulatory approval to begin sales.

Shenzhen-based Tencent said in November 2017 it would bring the gory game to China and informally launched the title the following February.

South Korean-made PUBG was named by global game distributor Steam as one of its highest-grossing titles of 2018, and industry insiders estimated Tencent could rake in revenue of US$1 billion if it was allowed to earn income from it.

“The testing phase for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds officially ends May 8. We thank everyone for the support they have given us so far,” showed a post on the game’s official account on Weibo.

The Weibo post also announced the launch of a similar Tencent-licensed title, “Game for Peace,” which obtained monetization approval from authorities in April, yesterday.

Jefferies analysts said the earlier-than-expected launch of the tactical shooting game, which is a tribute to China’s air force, boded well for Tencent’s gaming growth in the second half of this year.

“Despite the simultaneous shutdown of PUBG, direct migration of user data and purchases should lower churn risk,” they said. (SD-Agencies)