It’s bad news for the esports industry, BGMI is removed from the mobile stores. To know about the BGMI ban in India, read our article below.
PUBG has been banned in India for over two years, and now its Indian version, Battlegrounds Mobile India or BGMI, has also been removed suddenly, leaving several unanswered questions. An Indian version of PUBG developed by Krafton, the South Korean developer behind the popular battle royale game, was developed a year later after PUBG was banned in India.
This version of PUBG Mobile was launched last year as BGMI. It has recently crossed 100 million registered users in the country in just about a year since it was launched as BGMI. As a result of millions of downloads and active users, BGMI has been well received by India’s gaming community.
The reason for BGMI Ban in India
On Thursday night, Google Play and Apple’s App Store removed Battlegrounds Mobile India, the popular battle royale. A Google India spokesperson confirmed the removal, saying it was ordered by the Government. On receiving an order, the company’s spokesperson informed the affected developer and blocked access to the app on the India Play store after following established procedures.
Krafton also confirmed the development and said that once they have specific information about how BGMI was removed from both the Google Play and iOS app stores, they will let users know as soon as possible.
The reasons for the BGMI Ban in India are unclear, but Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar raised the issue of a boy killing his mother because his addiction to PUBG was driving him to kill her. Also, he said the home ministry had been notified of reports and complaints about banned apps appearing in new avatars with similar-sounding names, adding that PUBG had been banned in 2020 and was no longer available in the country.
According to Krafton, PUBG and BGMI are distinct games, and their safeguards were in place to prevent misuse of the titles. The South Korean-headquartered firm has cut ties with Tencent and promised to invest $100 million in India. In an effort to stop cheating on its well-liked game, Krafton said that it had deleted 25 lakh accounts in the previous month.
Is the BGMI Ban good or bad for India?
For many parents, it might be a good decision because the addiction to PUBG-related games is rising day by day. Many young generations are involved in the game in such a way that they are even forced to do crimes at a very young age. This is also one of the major reasons we think for the BGMI Ban in India.
BGMI, which has been labeled unsafe for young adults following a recent incident involving a boy killing his mother over an argument over the game, has yet again come under the government’s radar. Similar incidents of arguments and damage have occurred in the past as well.
However, this will affect the gaming community greatly. Professional gamers are facing problems because of these addictions among the youngsters of the country. In the esports ecosystem, this would be detrimental to consumers, businesses, stakeholders, job creation, and many other aspects. Startups, tournaments, and game streaming receive huge investments, this could result in a trickle effect.
According to Lokesh Suji of the Esports Federation of India and of the Asian Esports Foundation (ASEF), India is paving its way to becoming a multisport nation that attracts the right audience, investment, and visibility for every sport. It needs to reflect the same in eSports, with the country promoting multiple Esports titles instead of just one. Video game developers in India need to speed up the process of launching world-class esports video game titles with so much attention being paid on all fronts, including the government.
How is it going to impact other games?
It might be a good decision too as other games will get a chance to get fame and popularity. BGMI is definitely a very popular and loved game and this has led to the downfall of many other games. Therefore, it is a good chance for other games to get into the light and grow their popularity. The problem with other games is that they try to copy PUBG or BGMI. If they start bringing their own concept or other useful features then it will definitely work in the gaming industry.
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