Pakistani Teen Jailed for 100 Years After Killing Family Over PUBG Addiction

In a tragic incident that highlights the dangers of gaming addiction, a Pakistani court has sentenced a 17-year-old boy to 100 years in prison for murdering his entire family. The incident occurred last month, when Zain Ali, described as a "diehard PUBG player," reportedly killed his mother, brother, and two sisters after repeatedly being scolded by his mother about the amount of time he spent playing the online shooting game.

According to the court's judgment, delivered on September 15th, 2025, Ali was sentenced to four life terms, which equates to 25 years for each murder. The judge stated that the "convict brutally killed his entire family under the influence of an online game," and that his actions were "influenced by addiction where a game became more powerful than family bonds."

Investigators linked the violent outburst to Ali's obsession with PUBG, a popular online battle royale game. Police revealed that on the day of the killings, Ali "lost his senses" after missing a target while playing the game for hours and also receiving a scolding from his mother, Nahid Mubarak. Ali then reportedly took his mother's licensed pistol and opened fire, killing his mother, 45, his elder brother Taimur, 20, and his sisters Mahnoor, 15, and Jannat, 10, on the spot.

The judge's decision to sentence the teen to 100 years in prison, rather than the death penalty, was based on the fact that he was 14 years old at the time of the crime. Experts have suggested that the boy may have been dealing with underlying mental health issues, such as a psychotic break, anger management problems, or impulse control disorder, which could have contributed to the tragic incident.