Nepal bans PUBG over ‘harmful impact on children’

The Nepalese government has decided to ban the battle royale game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The game is said to be too harmful and addictive for children with its violent content.

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority instructed all internet service providers in Nepal to block the game. The ban came at the request of the government’s research agency, the Himalayan Nation’s Federal Investigation Authority. Sandip Adhikari, deputy director at the NTA, told Reuters that the game would be too violent and addictive for children and teens. He also indicated that parents were concerned that children would spend too little time on school or other activities, despite no incidents.

Nepal is not the only country where PUBG is banned. Last month, the mobile version of the game was banned in a number of cities in India for the same reason, according to the Hindustan Times. Teens in the Indian region of Gujarat were also arrested after they were caught playing the battle royale game.

PUBG isn’t the only game out of the question in some countries. For example, The Guardian reported a few years ago that the Pokemon series was banned in Saudi Arabia for promoting gambling and the presence of religious objects. Engadget reports that China wants to regulate gaming to save children’s eyesight.