Remember the Indian govt had banned 59 Chinese apps citing the sovereignty and integrity of Indian cyberspace? Following that, we had recommended a number of Chinese apps alternatives for enhanced privacy. And now the Indian government has banned PUBG Mobile, the popular battle royale game along with other 117 Chinese apps. It surely came as a huge shock since India was one of the largest markets for Tencent. Anyway, now that the government has officially disallowed the game, we have come up with some PUBG alternatives. So without any delay, let’s go ahead and find the best games like PUBG Mobile on Android and iOS.
We have carefully curated the 10 best games like PUBG Mobile for both Android and iOS. We have ranked the below list based on survival gameplay for which PUBG was so popular and compatibility across a range of devices — from budget to high-tier devices. To navigate seamlessly, you can click on the link below and learn about games similar to PUBG Mobile.
- Call of Duty: Mobile
- Fortnite
- Garena Free Fire: 3volution
- Hopeless Land: Fight for Survival
- Battlelands Royale
- ScarFall : The Royale Combat
- Pixel’s Unkown Battle Grounds
- Black Survival
- Danger Close
- Zooba
1. Call of Duty: Mobile
Last year, Call of Duty: Mobile was launched for both Android and iOS to give a stiff competition to PUBG Mobile. Fast forward now and the game has amassed a healthy community in India, just like PUBG Mobile. And now that PUBG has been banned, it’s the perfect time to try this amazing battle royale game.
Not to mention, CoD: Mobile is published by Activision, a US-based studio so the chances are next to nothing for the game to be banned. The best part about Call of Duty: Mobile is that it offers everything you used to love playing on PUBG. You have a 100-player battle royale mode, a 5v5 deathmatch, multiplayer modes like CoD Black Ops and much more.
Along with that, you can endlessly customize your character, weapons, unlock new characters, earn rewards, and much more. Best of all, the game takes up around 2GB of storage and runs pretty well on budget Android devices so it can sufficiently replace PUBG Mobile in the Indian market. Simply put, at this point, Call of Duty: Mobile is the best PUBG alternative that you can hop on.
Cons
Download: Android, iOS (Free, offers in-app purchases)
With Fortnite ousted from Apple’s App Store and PUBG banned in India, it is time for Epic to tap the Indian market. Since more than 75% of Indian smartphone users use Android, Fortnite has the opportunity to grow big here. But, there is one thing that makes me put it in second place and that is its humongous download size and compatibility requirements.
Not to forget, Fortnite has also been removed from the Play Store, but you do have the option to sideload the game through its own store. The installation process is rather seamless and you can learn how to install Fortnite on Android without Play Store from our guide. Coming to my main complaint, Fortnite takes around 8GB of storage which is a big ask for budget Android devices, especially in India.
On top of that, Fortnite needs an Android device running Android 8 or higher, at least 4GB of RAM, GPU that features Adreno 530/Mali G71 or higher, and lastly, a mid to high-tier processor. In other terms, if your Android device comes with a Snapdragon 8-series processor then you are good to go. Along with that, now some 6-series processors are also able to handle Fortnite pretty well.
Pros
Download: Android, Samsung Galaxy Store (Free, offers in-app purchases)
If you’re not yet comfortable jumping into a high-capacity fight, Free Fire – Battlegrounds could be the game you’d like to try out first. The controls are all on the screen and simple to navigate, but the highlight for you is that only have to go against 49 other users in a 10-minute window to survive until the end. That’s a quick game to hone all your skills before an intense battle.
The basics of the battle royale mode all remain the same. You’ll drop on a remote island and will have to find good weapons, as well as medkits, and stay inside the safe zone to win the battle.
Download: Android, iOS (Free, in-app purchases start at $0.99)
4. Hopeless Land: Fight for Survival
Hopeless Land: Fight for Survival is another game like PUBG that has got rave reviews from the mobile gaming community. It’s a potential PUBG alternative that has survival as its main theme. The game has a survival mode where you can play against 121 players and the last man standing wins the match.
- 121-players battle royale
- Asian aesthetic environment
- Fly in helicopters
- Strategic game like PUBG
As the name suggests, Battlelands Royale is a battle royale game similar to PUBG Mobile, but with a crazy fun twist. It’s not your casual blood-filled shooter game but brings cute characters and a cartoonish gameplay environment. But you do have the main theme: a 32-player battle royale game where the carnage does not stop.
Also, what I like about Battlelands Royale is that here you don’t have to wait in lobbies to start the game. Just tap on the play button and you are on a parachute– now go ahead and loot, shoot and survive. The battle royale lasts not more than 3 to 5 minutes.
You can play the game either in solo or duo mode and you have to dominate your arena from all sides. The map is also kind of huge and you will have to play the game to learn about the various positions. All in all, Battlelands Royale is a fun-filled game like PUBG Mobile and you can play it for quick enjoyment.
ScarFall : The Royale Combat has a unique distinction on this list. It’s one of the few battle royale games that has been developed by an Indian studio. According to YourStory, “ScarFall emerged as one of the top Made-in-India apps in the gaming category in the recent AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Cons
- There are some bugs
- Takes time to connect to players
Any Minecraft enthusiasts in the house? Well, if you’re a true fan of pixel-style retro visuals then Pixel’s Unkown Battle Grounds could be the perfect opportunity to enjoy battle royale fights on your mobile.
The developers have also tried to simplify the game mechanics by resorting to an auto-shoot mode to help you take down enemies.
Download: Android, iOS (Free, in-app purchases start at $0.99)
Adding its own flair to the much-hyped PUBG-style games, Black Survival has now built a cult following among mobile users. This is a fast-paced action title, where you select an anime character and are dropped on an island with 22 different areas including hospital, beach, forest among others. These locations are then locked as the battlefield narrow, so it pushed you to take charge and fight for the top spot in a roughly 20-minute game.
9. Danger Close
Danger Close is another battle royale game that has improved significantly in the recent past. Just like PUBG, here you can play in an intense multiplayer battle. The best part is that Danger Close now features a new map which is much bigger and has added new mechanics like recoil, looting, and a brand new inventory system. Talking about the map, now you can choose to play in eight different places such as alien planets or a pirate-infested island.
Apart from that, you can join online FPS deathmatch and play anytime you want. Of course, the graphics does not come close to PUBG’s excellent game environment, but with such a small footprint, you are able to quickly join an online deathmatch which is great. Simply put, if you are in for a quick multiplayer game then Danger Close is a decent alternative to PUBG Mobile.
- Graphics is sub-par
Download: Android, iOS (Free, offers in-app purchases)
Zooba is our final game on this list and it’s among the most hilarious battle royale games that you can find out there. Based on animal characters, Zooba lets you play survival adventure game in a 20-player deathmatch.
It’s a fast-paced, thrilling, and absolutely fun game that you can play to give yourself a break from gory, blood-filled battles. In some ways, the gameplay is not intense like PUBG, but you do get the essence of a battleground war.
Bonus for Indian Gamers: FAU-G
If you’ve been keeping up with tech news, you might recall that game developer n-Core Games released a teaser for a PUBG Mobile-like game in October of 2020. Dubbed Fearless and United Guards, the mobile game managed to garner over 1 million pre-registrations in a day when the game opened pre-registrations in November.
In FAU-G, you’re playing the role of an Indian soldier and the game’s first level is set in Galwan Valley. As a soldier, your task is to protect the country from hostile invaders. If you’re interested, you can check out the game below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Which Game is Just Like PUBG?
In terms of theme and gameplay, Call of Duty: Mobile and Fortnite are games just like PUBG. You have multiple gaming modes including the popular 100-player deathmatch.
I would say, yes. PUBG is still worth playing in 2022 especially after the new map updates. But since the game has been banned in India, you have no other options than to look for alternatives. You can find the best games like PUBG for Android and iOS from our above list.
There have been multiple reports of PUBG being banned in China, as the Chinese government did not approve the in-app purchase feature of the app. As per latest report, Tencent has replaced PUBG with Game of Peace in China.
Q. Which Country Plays PUBG the Most?
If you account for PUBG Mobile users then India tops the list. However, if you combine both PC and mobile users then China ranks on top.
PUBG is developed and published by Tencent Games, which is a China-based company. However, the game originated from a South Korean video game company Bluehole. In 2017, Tencent Games secured rights from Bluehole with 10% stake in the company.
