PUBG: New State Publisher Krafton Comments on the Bricking Issue; Age Verification on the Game Fails

PUBG: New State publisher Krafton said that it had “sufficient testing” prior to the official launch, in response to complaints that the battle royale game was bricking devices. The South Korean company also noted that it had confirmed smooth functionality of the game. Krafton did not give any explanations to the bricking issue that was reported by some users on social media shortly after the launch of PUBG: New State earlier this week. In addition to the bricking issue, users also said that it is easy to bypass the age verification prompt in PUBG: New State and can play the game, even if they are not 18 or above.

In a statement emailed to Gadgets 360, Krafton responded to the bricking issue that was raised on Twitter by some users shortly after PUBG: New State's release.

“We had sufficient testing on mobile devices with similar spec to Galaxy S7 or models with 2GB RAM and have confirmed smooth functionality of the game,” the company said.

However, Krafton has not talked anything about whether it is addressing the bricking issue or is aware of any such cases.

Many users complained that PUBG: New State bricked their devices after it prompted them to sign in either as a guest or using a social media account. Some user reports suggested that the problem was largely on devices running Android 12, though Gadgets 360 wasn't able to independently verify the issue.

Rocky launch for PUBG follow-up

PUBG: New State had a rocky launch on Thursday as its release got delayed by a couple of hours due to technical issues. Krafton also mentioned some issues with the game on its official website.

Alongside the problems that users initially faced, PUBG: New State offers a lenient age verification feature that can easily be bypassed, as noted by India Today. The game shows a prompt where users need to confirm whether they are 18 or above, but if you tap No, it proceeds without asking any further details. This is unlike Krafton's Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) where gamers need to give their parent or guardian's phone number to proceed if they are under 18.

PUBG: New State doesn't ask for any details even if you press 'No' on the age verification prompt

Krafton introduced the parental consent requirement with the launch of BGMI earlier this year to address concerns over allowing minors to play the game. It was added as one of the features to differentiate the game with its original version — PUBG Mobile — that got banned last year.

BGMI asks users to enter their parent or guardian's phone number if they are under 18

Gadgets 360 reached out to Krafton on the age verification flaw on PUBG: New State, and following is its comment on the matter.

KRAFTON,Inc. we are committed towards responsible gaming and encourage parental discretion. Age barrier is always an issue and we are, and will continue taking series of measures to ensure Indian users can enjoy the game to the fullest in a healthier and safer environment.