BGMI Returning to India ‘Soon’ After 10-Month Ban, Krafton Confirms

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Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is coming back and will be available for download soon in the country. Korean publisher Krafton has confirmed that the Indian government has allowed them to resume operations of the uber-popular battle-royale game, following its ban in July last year, owing to privacy and security concerns. The game was completely removed from both Google Play Store and Apple's App Store under Section 69 of the IT Act — in turn affecting the mobile e-sports scene in the country. BGMI is now the first app to return to India, among the hundreds of apps the government banned within the past couple of years.

“We are highly grateful to the Indian authorities for allowing us to resume operations of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI). We would like to extend our gratitude to our Indian gaming community for their support and patience over the past few months,” Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, Krafton India said in a press release. “We are excited to announce that Battlegrounds Mobile India will be available for download soon and we cannot wait to welcome you back to our platform.” He also touched upon the remarkable milestones the game achieved in the country, surpassing 100 million users within a year of its launch in July 2021.

Following PUBG Mobile's ban, BGMI, an India-exclusive version of the game popped into the scene, rekindling the e-sports ecosystem in the country with numerous official and unofficial events, including a broadcast on mainstream television. Dubbed the ‘Masters Series,' the tournament was telecast live on Star Sports 2 last year, with Global Esports lifting the trophy. “Krafton is a responsible South Korean organisation that abides by the law and has put in place several measures to ensure