To set the record straight: No. PUBG Mobile India, and FAU-G, a.k.a. Fearless and United Guides, are not competitors. Very much not. So why have these two games have been compared time and again as if they’re supposed to be?
PUBG Mobile ban has left a major gap in mobile gaming in India, considering how popular the game was. Many have continued playing and streaming it despite the ban. When the ban was announced in a wave of 118 apps with Chinese ties, obviously a lot of folks were upset.
The comparison came from the fact that FAU-G was announced right around the PUBG Mobile ban in India. That and the similar-sounding name made everybody think FAU-G is a PUBG Mobile alternative, made in India. (I mean can you blame them? Just look at Tooter.)
PUBG Mobile India is coming soon, which is an India-specific version of the game. However, even this new game is still miles apart from FAU-G. Here’s all you need to know about PUBG Mobile India and FAU-G.
FAU-G and PUBG Mobile India Gameplays
Clarification @vishalgondal @dayanidhimg @akshaykumar #FAUG pic.twitter.com/qVFMjv5Crt
— nCORE Games (@nCore_games) September 7, 2020
FAU-G developers nCore Games have made it pretty clear that the game is not a PUBG Mobile-like game. In an interview with The Mako Reactor, Ganesh Hande, Co-Founder and COO of nCore Games gave some more details about what we can expect from the gameplay of FAU-G.
PUBG Mobile was not a reference point for FAU-G, so you can expect a different experience here. Hande has said that FAU-G will have both, third-person action, as well as Battle Royale modes. However, not all of it will be available at launch, because nCore wants to take it slow and update as per player feedback.
To begin with, FAU-G will have a Galwan Valley level with single-player as well as cooperative multiplayer. To keep it close to the real-life happenings in Galwan Valley, this level will be a melee brawler, with no guns. It will have some exploration for the players too.
We haven’t seen any actual gameplay yet, but the artwork on Google Play Store shows cel-shaded animations, which would be a great look for the game.
PUBG Mobile India, on the other hand, will be like PUBG Mobile, but with some changes. It will change the setting from an actual island for battle royale, to a “virtual simulation training ground”. PUBG Mobile India will also show the blood and hit effects in Green colour. Playtime restrictions will also be implemented to counter addiction.
Other than that, it will be very similar to PUBG Mobile.
FAU-G and PUBG Mobile India Release Dates
We have heard so much about PUBG Mobile India, and the release has been teased widely.
KRAFTON, the parent corporation of PUBG, made a deal with Microsoft, to have Azure as the host of PUBG. Following this, they announced PUBG Mobile India.
PUBG Mobile India teasers featuring Indian streamers also released, saying the game was coming soon. However, for now, we have zero news about when the game is actually coming to India. The release is still subject to approval from Indian authorities. There has been nothing to suggest that they have given approval.
On the other hand, nCore had promised a 30th November release date for FAU-G. While the game did not get a full release, the pre-registrations for FAU-G on Google Play Store started on November 30th.
Some users have faced the Device Incompatible error in Google Play Store with FAU-G, but nCore founder Vishal Gondal confirmed to us that they’re looking into the compatibility issues.
So to answer the burning question — FAU-G and PUBG Mobile India are totally different. However, FAU-G has a great promise, and so far it’s looking great, and we expect FAU-G to be a stand-out title from a stand-out Indian game developer.
Stay tuned to us for more on FAU-G, PUBG Mobile India, and gaming in India.
