Krafton-owned Battlegrounds Mobile India is back on Google Play Store. The multiplayer game was recently announced to be back as the government of India had decided to lift the ban.
Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted on Friday that a three-month trial approval has been granted for BGMI after it complied with issues of server locations and data security.
“This is a three-month trial approval of #BGMI after it has complied with issues of server locations and data security etc. We will keep a close watch on other issues of user harm, addiction etc in the next three months before a final decision is taken,” Chandrasekhar tweeted.
The game served a 10-month ban from Google Play Store and Apple App Store post a government order last year post a ban demand requested by an NGO PRAHAR on it, alleging that the banned PUBG game was re-introduced in India by Chinese conglomerate Tencent’s front company Krafton. However, Krafton has denied any links with Tencent.
Even while the scenario remains uncertain, the gaming community has welcomed the move.
“ 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 Lokesh Suji, director, Esports Federation of India and vice-president, Asian Esports Federation.
The game’s ban lift is temporary as it has been given a three-month trial period during which it would be monitored and analysed by officials before deciding on BGMI’s future.
“The game’s comeback is a testimony to the growing impact of gaming as a content category and we are grateful to the Government of India for recognizing Krafton’s efforts to find a path to resolution,” said Piyush Kumar, founder and CEO, Rooter.
While the game is available on the Google Play store, the server has yet to be made live.
Krafton has issued clarifications stating that the servers are shut as there is a technical error.
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