The PUBG Mobile launch date is one of the most-asked questions in mobile gaming, and the answer has more layers than most players realise. The game did not land everywhere at once, and the version you play today has a very different history depending on your region. Here is the full timeline, cleared up.
When Did PUBG Mobile Actually Launch?
PUBG Mobile first released in China on February 9, 2018, published by Tencent Games under license from PUBG Corporation. That early rollout was limited and ran as a soft launch while the servers and anti-cheat systems were tested.
The global launch date for PUBG Mobile was March 19, 2018, when the game became available worldwide on iOS and Android. That is the date most players remember, and it is the one usually cited as the official release.
Key takeaway: February 9, 2018 was the China launch. March 19, 2018 was the global launch. Both dates are correct depending on which version you mean.
The Full PUBG Mobile Release Timeline
Mobile battle royale moved fast in 2018, and PUBG Mobile’s rollout had several moving parts. Here is how it unfolded.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| February 9, 2018 | Soft launch in China (two versions published by Tencent) |
| March 19, 2018 | Global launch on iOS and Android |
| 2019 | PUBG Mobile Lite released for lower-spec devices |
| July 2020 | PUBG Mobile banned in India |
| July 2021 | Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) released as the Indian replacement |
| 2022 onward | Continued seasonal updates, Royale Pass cycles and PMGC growth |
The China version was eventually replaced in 2019 by Game For Peace, a reskinned title that kept the same core gameplay but swapped out violent visuals to meet local regulations.
Why the Two Launch Dates Confuse People
If you look up the PUBG Mobile launch date, you will often see conflicting answers. That is because the game shipped in waves.
- China first: Tencent needed to run the game on home servers before anything else.
- Global rollout: The international version followed six weeks later with English, Russian, Arabic and other language support.
- Regional variants: PUBG Mobile Lite, Game For Peace, and later BGMI are all technically separate apps.
The short answer most players want: PUBG Mobile launched globally on March 19, 2018.
What Shipped at Launch
The original PUBG Mobile build was a direct port of the PC game’s early access version, trimmed to run on phones. At release, players got:
- Erangel as the only map
- Classic battle royale mode with 100 players
- Solo, Duo and Squad queues
- First-person and third-person perspective
- A simplified HUD with on-screen controls
- Basic voice chat
Vehicles, the full weapon list, and the ballistics model all carried over from PC, which is a big reason the mobile version felt serious from day one. If you want a refresher on where that first map sits in the current rotation, our pubg mobile erangel map breakdown has you covered.
How the Game Grew After Launch
The post-launch roadmap moved quickly. Miramar, the desert map, arrived in the months after the global launch, followed by Sanhok and Vikendi before the end of 2018. Each new map changed how squads approached rotations and loot priorities.
Here is the broad map release order on mobile:
- Erangel (launch, March 2018)
- Miramar (May 2018)
- Sanhok (June 2018)
- Vikendi (December 2018)
- Livik (2020)
- Karakin and smaller maps
- Nusa and Rondo in later cycles
The map pool is bigger now than most new players realise. If you are still learning where loot spawns and how circles behave on each one, the pubg mobile sanhok map and pubg mobile rondo map guides are solid starting points.
PUBG Mobile vs Battlegrounds Mobile India
A quick clarification, because this one trips people up. Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is not PUBG Mobile. It is a separate app published by Krafton specifically for India after PUBG Mobile was banned there in 2020.
- BGMI launch date: July 2, 2021
- Publisher: Krafton (not Tencent)
- Region: India only
The gameplay is near-identical, but accounts and purchases do not cross over. If you move between regions, you need the correct app for your country.
The Esports Side: From Launch to PMGC
PUBG Mobile’s competitive scene did not exist at launch. It was built from the ground up through regional tournaments, which grew into the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC), now one of the biggest mobile esports events in the world.
The scene covers:
- Regional leagues across South Asia, Southeast Asia, MENA, Europe and the Americas
- Open qualifiers that feed into pro circuits
- Annual world finals under the PMGC banner
For a closer look at how the regional qualifiers play out, our pmgo sa regional qualifier recap and pmgo season 2 sa finals coverage break down the match-by-match story.
What About the Platform?
PUBG Mobile launched exclusively on iOS and Android phones and tablets. There is no official console or PC version of PUBG Mobile itself. The PC and console titles are separate products with their own balance and feature sets.
Players who want a larger screen often use the official emulator, which has its own matchmaking pool so phone players are not matched against mouse-and-keyboard users. We cover that process in our how to play pubg mobile on pc walkthrough.
If you are shopping for a phone that handles the game properly, the pubg mobile 120 fps supported devices list is worth checking before you spend money.
Where PUBG Mobile Stands Today
Since the 2018 launch, PUBG Mobile has shipped new maps, dozens of Royale Pass cycles, controller support, gyroscope aiming overhauls, and seasonal collaborations with major franchises. The core 100-player battle royale loop has not changed, but almost everything around it has.
Still active in 2026: PUBG Mobile continues to receive regular updates and runs its full competitive calendar. The game is available on iOS and Android in most regions, with Game For Peace serving China and BGMI serving India.
If you are returning after a break, your old account should still work on the global version, though cosmetics tied to specific seasonal passes may have expired. Pulling up the best pubg mobile settings before you queue up is the fastest way to shake off the rust.
The Bottom Line
The PUBG Mobile launch date was March 19, 2018 globally, with a China-only soft launch on February 9, 2018. The game has since split into regional versions, grown a serious esports scene, and expanded far beyond the single-map experience it shipped with. Whichever version you play, you are playing a mobile shooter that has been continuously updated for over seven years. The smartest next move is to pick the map you want to master and learn its loot routes properly before chasing a tier push.