This year’s Asian Games will feature esports for the first time in its history. Video games will be part of medal events in the Asian Games 2022 with eight video games. An interesting revelation has been disclosed that PUBG Mobile will not feature person-to-person shooting, to promote non-violence and maintain harmony among players. This will result in PUBG Mobile losing the whole battle royale mode in the upcoming Asian Games 2022.
The latest reports have revealed that PUBG Mobile and Arena of Valor will have separate Asian Games versions. The other video games include the likes of FIFA, PUBG Mobile, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, League of Legends, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, Hearthstone, and Street Fighter V.
No person-to-person shooting in the Asian Games version of PUBG Mobile
According to the latest report by South Korea’s Money Today, a statement from a Krafton official has revealed person-to-person shooting will not be allowed in the Asian Games version of PUBG Mobile. Instead, players will compete in their driving and shooting skills.
The report says that the reason behind this is due to concerns that it would “harm the harmony” between countries. It seems that the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) wants to prevent violence from being propagated at the Asian Games, which is why players won’t be allowed to shoot others. It’s currently unclear what Tencent means by integrating PUBG Mobile’s gameplay with real-sport game experiences, but the game’s most recent update could offer a clue.
In PUBG Mobile’s most recently-released version 1.9, a new shooting range and racing mode were introduced to the Cheer Park. Players can practice in the shooting range to earn points, based on their accuracy. The racing mode, on the other hand, allows players to have one-vs-one races with other players in PUBG Mobile’s different vehicles. The Asian Games version may have something similar to provide a competitive experience, while removing players shooting each other.
International Olympic Committee is against video games that promote violence
For the last couple of years, Esports has been touted as the next big thing, as the growth of the video game industry skyrocketed. As more and more people have started playing video games, many pundits have said that it was high time that video games were included in international sports competitions.
The International Olympic Committee has consistently said that they won’t include video games that promote violence. Last year, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted for closer ties with Esports, the body’s president Thomas Bach said that video games that promote violence won’t be included. He said that this was because these games were against “Olympic values.”
Besides PUBG Mobile, other games like Arena of Valor, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Street Fighter V all have considerable amounts of violence. If these games proceed without any changes, it would mean that the line for “Olympic values” can be drawn at shooting others with guns.
Before the Asian Games in September, another IOC-sanctioned event with Esports is being held which is the 2021 Southeast Asian Games from the 13th of May, 2022 to the 21st of May, 2022 in Vietnam. It also features PUBG Mobile along with seven other titles. Currently, no reports have emerged, if a similar arrangement is being made for the battle-royale game at the SEA Games too.
What are your thoughts on the Asian Games 2022 version of PUBG Mobile without its regular battle royale mode? Let us know in the comments below!
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