In 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report that mentioned concerns about the effects of violent video games on children. You can read it here.

Just last year, WHO introduced gaming disorder in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the classification comes into effect in 2022. You can read more here.

Some time ago ranging between the day PUBG was released until this very moment, WHO classified PUBG as a violent game that leads to addiction and social isolation. Sorry, you can’t read the study where this classification comes. Only the Jordanian Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has ever laid eyes on it.

On 4 July 2019, PUBG was officially banned in Jordan and the aforementioned hidden WHO study is one of the main reasons why. In their statement released on 7 July 2019, the TRC also cited that the game causes children to have more aggressive thoughts and behaviours. It’s amazing what non-existent data can teach us.

WHO has never specifically classified any particular game as violent. Not Manhunt, not Mortal Kombat, and definitely not PUBG.

The TRC ended their statement saying that PUBG has also been banned in other countries such as China, Nepal, India, and Iraq. The Indian bans were temporary and regional in nature, and Nepal’s ban was suspended by the country’s Supreme Court. (via GamesIndustry.biz).

PUBG’s ban in China was tied to its monetization and China’s licensing freeze. This was what prompted Tencent to rebrand PUBG as Game for Peace for the Asian market.

According to Jordanian news outlet Roya News, the TRC is planning to ban six more games including Fortnite. I assume WHO is about to dish out another study exclusively for the TRC. What a bummer, I really want to know about the adverse effects of Fortnite’s dance emotes.