BGMI to relaunch in India after 10-month ban

The game surpassed 100 million registered users in July 2022

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), one of the most notable battle royale gaming titles of Krafton is all set to return to India’s Esports market and take the sector by storm. The game, which was banned 10 months earlier by the government, had surpassed 100 million registered users in July 2022 and was one of the biggest revenue-generating Android apps in the country until its suspension.

Speaking on the return of the highly adored game, Mr Animesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO of 8Bit Creatives commented, “The weekend fever has never been higher for all of us at 8Bit Creatives. The game represents so much for the gaming community, and we are thankful to the team at Krafton, Indian Govt. Officials & everyone else who has been working relentlessly to make this possible.

"This is sure to infuse new energy into the Indian Gaming Industry, and I am sure the whole industry is going to join forces to make it bigger than ever before. We are looking forward to accelerating this journey, with renewed vigour.

"We are most thankful to the players, and audiences, who showed great resilience during this period and continued to support the gamers. Hopefully, all the patience will be well rewarded and all of us get to work hard, and party harder as we take Indian gaming to newer heights. Personally, for me, I want to take a moment to feel that it's happening, before going back to grind, and making more interesting things happen in the industry!”

BGMI scaled a number of milestones in the Indian Esports industry which included becoming the first Esports title to be broadcasted as part of a tournament on mainstream television (Star Sports) where it attracted 24 million concurrent viewers and a total of 200 million viewers.

“The long-awaited return of BGMI after a 10-month hiatus is a much-needed boost for the Esports community in our country. We express our gratitude to the government of India for bringing back the game for the nation's passionate gaming audience and promoting the Esports ecosystem through this development.

"While the game is set to undergo certain changes to ensure a safe and enjoyable gaming experience for users upon its comeback on a trial period, it is encouraging to see the government bringing these safety measures for the youth of the country.

"With Esports getting official recognition from the government and the community adapting well to the absence of BGMI by expanding other titles, we eagerly anticipate the exponential growth that the sector will experience now that the game is back in the picture,” said Mr Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF).

Apart from the publisher's official tournaments, plenty of Indian Esports organizations were also organizing multiple BGMI tournaments with massive prize pools. The game is a major revenue source for Esports organizations, teams, live streamers, Esports players, and gaming content creators in India. 

Expressing his thoughts on the announcement, Mr Sagar Nair, Co-Founder & CEO of Qlan stated, “The news that was eagerly awaited by the Indian Esports community has finally been broken! It is great to see that the patience and perseverance on Krafton’s part to ensure that India’s most loved Esports title returns in accordance with the Meity guidelines has paid off. Gamers have long waited for this moment and their happiness will be seen and heard loud and clear in the coming days.

"With the Indian authorities sure to keep a close eye on the game during the issued 3-month trial, it will have to uphold the guidelines that are demanded. On a macro level, this could potentially set the tone for future Esports titles being released in India. Hoping for a long and continued stay for BMGI with no further complications, as the community rejoices and gets back to the grind.”

According to the latest data provided by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), India is currently home to over 430 million mobile gamers and is estimated to grow to 650 million by 2025.