BGMI banned? Krafton responds to removal of Battlegrounds Mobile India from Play Store, App Store

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Is Battlegrounds Mobile India, better known as BGMI, banned in India? That is the question every gamer in the country is asking right now. The battle royale was removed from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store Thursday night, sending India’s gaming community into a frenzy. It was a mere delisting of the app from the Android and iOS app stores, but also a hint that a ban could be coming. Krafton, the publisher of BGMI, has not confirmed the ban, but Google has confirmed the takedown was a result of an “order.” Also Read — BGMI Ban: Reasons why Indian govt may have banned BGMI just one year after its launch

Krafton confirmed the removal of Battlegrounds Mobile India, which crossed 100 million users one year after launch, from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Here is what the company told BGR India: Also Read — Battlegrounds Mobile India removed from Google Play Store, Apple App Store following government order

“We are clarifying how BGMI was removed from [the] Google Play store and the App store and will let you know once we get specific information.” Also Read — Krafton adds a new voice pack of TeamXSpark's Mavi to BGMI: Here's how to get it

The South Korean company has still not confirmed a ban. But Google hinted at an order that led to the takedown. “On receipt of the order, following established process, we have notified the affected developer and have blocked access to the app that remained available on the Play Store in India,” a  Google spokesperson said.

Speculating the ban is natural considering a similar thing happened with PUBG Mobile in India back in 2020. The government, in its bid to crack down on apps with the Chinese association, banned as many as 118 apps in September 2020. PUBG Mobile was