In the aftermath of the bans on PUBG Mobile and BGMI in India, the online gaming community had been searching for alternatives. Both the games were banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 which concerns with national security and maintaining public order.
Several fans still hope that at least the PUBG Mobile alternative, BGMI, comes back this year, keeping in mind the announcement made by Krafton late last year that they are working to bring it back.
Meanwhile, many of the players have started playing different games. For those still trying to figure out what to play on their mobile devices, here are five alternative mobile games that gamers can choose to play –
1) New State Mobile
Made by Krafton, the developers of BGMI and PUBG PC, New State Mobile is set in the same universe as both those games but is a futuristic style multiplayer online battle royale video game.
The core gameplay mechanics are the same as PUBG Mobile. A hundred players are dropped from a military aircraft into an uninhabited 8×8 island called Troi where they are required to fight their way in the shrinking zone.
The game is set in the year 2051 and features several futuristic weaponry and vehicles. While players can see the apparent differences between the games, it mostly feels like PUBG.
2) Call of Duty Mobile
Released back in September 2019, Call of Duty Mobile is the mobile version of the popular PC title ‘Call of Duty’ by Activision. At the time, the game was one of the biggest releases in history, generating over US$480 million with 270 million downloads within a year.
The game features multiplayer PVP with different game modes like Hardpoint, Team deathmatch, domination, Gungame and many more. It also has a separate Battle Royale mode that features different class types that modify the gameplay.
The battle royale game contains a 100-player lobby and the multiplayer mode features a number of iconic maps from the PC game and can be played with up to four players.
3) Free Fire Max
Ever since the ban on Garena Free Fire, fans have shifted to Free Fire Max. The game is an enhanced cut-down version of the original Free Fire, but features similar gameplay. It is much smaller in size than the original game.
Free Fire Max is suitable for people trying to play a quick game, as it features a relatively small map with only 50 players. The small number of players ensures that the game does not go beyond the 10-minute mark.
The developers also claim to have updated the graphics, and as a bonus, players with original Free Fire accounts can log in into Free Fire Max with the same credentials. According to the developers, both games support cross save function, so all items purchased in Free Fire are usable in Free Fire Max.
4) Modern Ops
Modern Ops is one of the few games which comes close to the popular esports FPS shooter on PC called Counter Strike. It is a highly acclaimed tactical FPS game on mobile devices which can be played with four more players. The game boasts more than 50 million downloads on Google Play Store.
The game features more than 30 iconic guns with different skins and camos. While the core gameplay is like CS:GO, the game also features different modes and killstreak weapons. The gameplay is slower paced as compared to other games largely due to the tactical nature of it.
Fully customised modern controls are also available for players with different gameplay styles and the game is well optimized for lower end devices, too.
5) Standoff 2
Standoff 2 is the sequel to the popular tactical FPS shooter Standoff, which was shut down after the release of its sequel. The game is quite popular and has crossed 100 million downloads in the Google Play Store itself.
Similar to Modern Ops, the game is a tactical shooter with many unique maps and gunplay experiences. The community is very active as the player accounts from Standoff 1 were migrated to the new game.
The game features 5v5 matches and has support for 120fps with both casual and competitive game modes. The guns also have recoil patterns similar to PC games, which makes it necessary for players to improve their skills to reach the top ranks.