PUBG hit for using controversial 'Rising Sun Flag'

The mobile version of PUBG's mega-hit computer game "Playerunknown's Battlegrounds" / Courtesy of PUBG

By Jun Ji-hye

Game developer PUBG, a subsidiary of Bluehole, has been facing criticism for releasing a game item with an image of the Rising Sun Flag of the Japanese imperial military on it in the mobile version of the firm's mega-hit computer game "Playerunknown's Battlegrounds."

Chang Byung-gyu, chairman of the board, founder and chief strategy officer of Bluehole that holds a 100 percent stake of PUBG

The game raised the eyebrows of many Korean gamers who regard the flag as the symbol of a war crime representing Japan's imperialism and invasion of foreign countries, including Korea, during World War II.

Bluehole holds a 100 percent stake in PUBG.

On Saturday, the firm released a pilot mask item in the mobile game but was soon embroiled in controversy as the item's design resembled the Rising Sun Flag.

On the same day, the company faced another controversy after an artificial intelligence (AI) game bot that used the ID of "Unit 731" was found while a well-known streamer "ATHENA" was playing the game.

Unit 731 was a notorious Japanese chemical and biological research unit that committed atrocities against the Korean, Chinese and Mongolian peoples, including lethal human experiments.

An AI game bot is a virtual player that is put into a game to enliven it, and the game developer names the bot.

Amid mounting controversy, PUBG removed the pilot mask item from the in-game shop hours after its release and made a formal apology, after checking the item with Tencent's Lightspeed & Quantum Studios that co-developed the mobile version of the game.

"We apologize for causing concerns over a pilot mask item," the firm said in a written apology uploaded on its official online fan cafe. The message mentioned they removed the item from the in-game shop at 4:20 p.m. on Saturday.

The firm said it is collecting the items that were already sold and will compensate users.

"We will conduct an overall re-examination of our image production process to prevent such a recurrence," the firm said.

The firm also apologized for the improper ID of the game bot, saying the ID will be deleted as well.

On Sunday, the company uploaded another written apology, explaining the controversial item was supposed to be deleted before being exposed to users, but the deletion was not done properly.

"We will enhance procedures to scrutinize game items before their releases and hold the person in charge responsible," it said.

The firm added it will refund the money of users who bought the controversial item and award all "Battlegrounds" players 150UC as part of its apology _ 150UC is in-game money worth 2,750 won ($2.4), with which gamers can buy items.

"Battlegrounds," a survivor shooter game reminiscent of the Japanese film "Battle Royale," was released in March last year to gain early access on Steam, the world's largest online game store platform. Then, it became a great hit on the global market.

The Korean game has received various awards in and outside the country, and its mobile version, released on May 16, continues to be popular.

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