Everything to Know About FAU-G – Release Date, Game Details, What to Expect & More!
Gamers in India are still recovering from the fact that PUBG Mobile was banned only a few days ago. However, as expected, this has created an opportunity for Indian developers to offer their own alternatives to now-banned apps. And with that said, we already have a PUBG clone made in India – called FAU-G.
Even though FAU-G has just been announced, it has already created plenty of controversy in India and worldwide. This battle royale title seems to be a direct copy of PUBG Mobile, which is something that PUBG fans aren't afraid to highlight on social media networks.
Related Content: Can You Still Download & Play PUBG in India After the Ban?
However, there’s no need to judge FAU-G before knowing all the details about the newly announced game. And that’s precisely why we’ve decided to produce this guide, letting you learn all there’s (currently) to know about FAU-G. So, let’s jump right in.
Who’s Making FAU-G? Is This Game Coming from India?
Barely two days after PUBG got banned in India, news spread about a replacement coming from this country. As nCORE Games announced just now, this software development company is in charge of building a replacement for PUBG - a game called FAU-G.
Fearless and United-Guards FAU-G. Coming soon! https://t.co/kWWw9swigx
— nCORE Games (@nCore_games) September 4, 2020
So, what’s the story behind nCORE Games? Well, the company seems to be a mysterious one, with plenty of contradicting information surfacing online as we speak. However, one thing is sure. This is an Indian game development studio, which is its biggest strength now.
If we visit nCORE Games’ official website, we won’t find plenty of information there. Despite saying that the company is “India’s leading mobile games publisher,” we’ve managed to find only a single game published on Google’s Play Store. And even that game has a rating of 2.0 out of 5.0 – so, not very promising, you'll have to agree.
If you take a look at nCORE's official Twitter profile, you’ll see that the company only has a handful of Tweets. The profile was created in February 2019, though.
In response to PM @narendramodi call of #AtmaNirbharApp, @nCore_games is proud to announce our action game Fearless And United: Guards FAU:G with mentorship from @akshaykumar 20% of net revenues donated to @BharatKeVeer trust for India's Bravehearts #JaiHind #FAUG #gaming pic.twitter.com/OZTKj2mdFl
— Vishal Gondal (@vishalgondal) September 4, 2020
Perhaps the most prominent positive signal here is that Vishal Gondal acts as an advisor to nCORE Games. This is a highly successful Indian entrepreneur, known for founding Indiagames in 1999. The company was later sold to Disney for around $100 million.
As Gondal notes, nCORE Games will create "a world-class gaming experience which will be better than PUBG as (our) team has already worked on some of the best game titles in the world, such as Vainglory."
As a conclusion, we can say that nCORE Games doesn't have any tangible proof that it can produce a mobile AAA game. However, we'd love to be surprised and see a highly polished game, coming from India. And as it turns out, we won't have to wait too long to get a more detailed glimpse into how FAU-G looks like.
What to Expect from FAU-G? A Battle Royale Game?
In all honesty, not much information is known about FAU-G as of right now. However, the game was announced as an alternative to PUBG Mobile. The only information we know is that FAU-G will be a multiplayer game.
It’s interesting to note that Akshay Kumar, a popular Bollywood actor, is taking a major part in creating this game. No long after FAU-G was announced on Twitter, Kumar expressed his excitement and support for this homegrown game.
Supporting PM @narendramodi’s AtmaNirbhar movement, proud to present an action game,Fearless And United-Guards FAU-G. Besides entertainment, players will also learn about the sacrifices of our soldiers. 20% of the net revenue generated will be donated to @BharatKeVeer Trust #FAUG pic.twitter.com/Q1HLFB5hPt
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) September 4, 2020
It was also said that Kumar was the one who came up with the game’s title. You see, FAU-G stands for Fearless and United Guards. However, “fauji” also means “soldier” in Hindi.
Kumar is a son of an Indian army officer, and it appears that he’s taking this project very personally. This is one of the reasons why 20% of the game’s earnings will be donated to the ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ trust, supporting Indian military forces.
Unlike other (similar) games, FAU-G is posed to get its inspiration from real-world events. More precisely, the game will depict real scenarios by the Indian Security Forces, dealing with domestic and foreign threats.
The first level of the game will be set in the Galwan Valley, which was in the news only a few months ago when Chinese military troops killed 20 unarmed Indian soldiers. This was yet another spark in a strenuous relationship between the two countries, adding to an already overwhelming anti-China sentiment across India.
What Platforms Is FAU-G Expected to Launch On?
FAU-G is expected to target the same platforms as PUBG Mobile. This means that the newly announced game will be available via Google’s Play Store and Apple’s iOS App Store.
We’d also like to note India didn’t ban the PC version of PUBG. The game also remains available on platforms like Xbox and PlayStation. Therefore, FAU-G most likely plans to replace only the mobile version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
And also, let’s not forget to mention that reports are saying that nCORE Games started creating FAU-G in May-June 2020. This gives the company barely enough time to prepare the game for its launch, which will happen not far from today.
What Kind of Graphics Can We Expect from FAU-G?
As reported online, FAU-G should be nearing its final release, which should happen in under two months from now. This means that the biggest portion of the game should already be done, leaving some time for ironing out possible bugs and performance issues.
However, there are no official screenshots of FAU-G. This is also one of the reasons why Indian gamers don’t hold much hope for this title. However, we reserve our right to be wrong about this, and we sincerely hope to see FAU-G being on the same level as PUBG.
Besides, we'd like to remind you that PUBG is a highly optimized game for Android and iOS. One of the most significant selling points is its ability to run equally well on high-end and low-end smartphones. With that said, FAU-G has a major task to accomplish, in record time.
When Will FAU-G Be Released?
It is said that FAU-G will be released in October. Some reports say that the final week of October is the most precise release window, as of right now.
Considering that game has been under active development for only several months now, this leaves plenty of room for speculation. And also, this doesn't give us much hope that we'll same the same level of visuals as FAU-G's biggest competitor. After all, PUBG Mobile is an AAA-level game, being actively developed and refined over the past several years.
Therefore, the chances are that FAU-G might be released gradually. More precisely, it might be available in a limited scope at launch, with additional updates arriving regularly, further evolving the game and its core concept.
How Much Is FAU-G Expected to Cost?
The chances are that FAU-G will come free of charge. Still, there will most certainly be in-app purchases, generating revenue for nCORE Games.
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As you probably know, PUBG Mobile was a free-of-charge game as well. However, in-app purchases are what secured $1.3 billion in revenue for the game (in the first half of this year, on the global level). Before being banned in this country, PUBG Mobile has had 175 million installs in India alone.
With all of that said, it’s clear that India is a highly attractive market for gaming-related titles. And considering that PUBG Mobile is no longer present, even capturing a small portion of daily active gamers could translate into plenty of revenue for FAU-G.
Is FAU-G Really a Clone of PUBG?
We do have to note that FAU-G comes at a really convenient time – just after PUBG Mobile got banned in India. And despite numerous promises, FAU-G seems to be taking a quicker route by trying to replicate PUBG Mobile as much as possible.
This has to be a joke. A game isn’t developed in 2 days.
The Modi govt literally banned PUBG citing “sovereignty & security of India” just so that their crony could launch a game called FAU-G.
I mean there’s not even a pretense anymore. The name literally is a give away. https://t.co/4lRDqRfmZU
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) September 4, 2020
One of the most trending tweets right now points to FAU-G’s rapid development. Other highly trending tweets are pointing to FAU-G's creators' intention to make money in the name of nationalism – as the title relies heavily on real-world events, which is uncommon in the gaming industry, especially with political events happening only a few months ago.
At least make something original. #FAUG
Original Copy pic.twitter.com/qlGP465ygA
— Spirit of Congress✋ (@SpiritOfCongres) September 4, 2020
Numerous other tweets are pointing to other irregularities. Even the game’s official poster art seems to be based on a generic stock image. The same could be said for numerous other aspects of this game – which, as it appears right now, seriously lacks in originality.
#PUBG stands for "Player Unknown's Battlegrounds"#FAUG stands for "We Can't Even Come Up with An Original Name for A Game We Want To Copy And Sell In The Name of Nationalism."
— meghnad 🔗 (@Memeghnad) September 4, 2020
What are your thoughts about FAU-G? Do you think it shows promise? Let us know via the comments section below. And of course, don’t forget to share this article online. Thanks!