There’s a Hit PUBG Film in China. The Game Studio Didn’t Make It

A film about PUBG, the online battle royale sensation, is making waves in China. But the game’s developers had nothing to do with it.

“The Valorous Marksman” premiered on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Netflix-style video service Youku on Aug. 6 to solid reviews from fans -- many of whom commented on its remarkable resemblance to their favorite duel-to-the-death online game.

The movie follows the journey of a young game streamer who forms an e-sports team with buddies. The protagonists start out by parachuting from a plane onto a dusty battlefield littered with abandoned buildings. A yellow and black heads-up ...