Krafton's BGMI set to return in India; Jubilant Indian Esports Industry Hails Positive News For Online Gamers

After a 10-month suspension, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has on Friday (May 19) officially announced its return in the country. The game publisher Krafton made the announcement after getting the nod from the Ministry of Electronics & IT.

As per reports, BGMI has received a three-month trial approval from the MoEIT after the South Korean company complied with issues of server locations and data security put forward by the Indian government. The Ministry will keep a close watch on issues of user harm, addiction etc. in the next three months before a final decision is taken.

Those who visited the application on their phones received a prompt, 'Server is not online yet. Please check the official news for further information regarding availability. Thank you for your understanding."

"We would like to express our deep appreciation to the Indian authorities for permitting us to restart the operations of BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI). KRAFTON, Inc., as a responsible South Korean company that abides by the law," BGMI said in an official statement.

Before it was suspended in the country, KRAFTON's BGMI surpassed 100 million registered users in July 2022. The game was one of the biggest revenue-generating Android apps in the country until its suspension.

The game clocked about $33 million in in-app spending from July 2021 to July 2022, according to estimates app intelligence firm Sensor Tower. BGMI created history by becoming the first Esports event to be broadcasted on mainstream television (Star Sports) attracting 24 million concurrent viewers and a total of 200 million viewers.

Apart from the publisher's official tournaments, plenty of Indian esports organisations had also organised multiple BGMI tournaments with massive prize pools. The game emerged as a major revenue source for esports organisations, teams, live streamers, esports players, and gaming content creators in India.

As BGMI is a mobile-centric game, 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.

As per Niko Partner's India Games Market Report 2022, India is a mobile-first market with 98.8% of gamers playing on the platform, accounting for 85% of total market revenue. Data costs in India are the lowest in the world.

The development came as a massive relief to the esports industry stakeholders and they thanked the government for lifting the suspension.

Esports Industry in India Reacts Over BGMI Comeback

Esports Federation of India & Asian Esports Federation Reacts on Return of BGMI

Lokesh Suji, Director, the Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) also hailed the long-awaited return of BGMI after a 10-month hiatus and termed it a much-needed boost to the industry as a whole.

"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," Mr Suji added further.

8Bit Creatives, India's leading Esports consulting and talent agency

Animesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, 8Bit Creatives, India's leading esports consulting and talent agency boasts of top BGMI content creators, was elated with the news and went on to claim that the weekend fever has never been higher for all everyone 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 patients 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!" he added further.

STAN - a Bengaluru-headquartered blockchain-based fan engagement startup

Nauman Mulla, Co-Founder, and COO, STAN - a Bengaluru-headquartered blockchain-based fan engagement startup that is dedicated to uplifting and empowering the fans of various gaming creators and esports players in India and worldwide - also hailed BGMI's comeback to India.

"We are thrilled to witness the resurgence of BGMI in India, poised to bring about a remarkable surge in the gaming industry. The dedicated fans of BGMI have been eagerly anticipating this news for quite some time.

"STAN, with its unwavering commitment, will be doubling down its efforts towards BGMI and is excited to bring in new features for the fans. With utmost confidence, we anticipate BGMI to successfully navigate through the three-month trial period, fostering a secure and wholesome gaming culture for its passionate fanbase," Mr Mulla said.

Alpha Zegus on BGMI Return in India

Rohit Agarwal, Founder & Director, Alpha Zegus, the next-gen marketing agency which specialises in the domains of gaming & lifestyle, claimed BGMIs return is definitely big news for the entire industry, and everyone is thrilled about the good old days coming back.

"There has been a dry spell in the mobile competitive scenario for a while now, and this announcement is definitely making many stakeholders happy. Tournaments of all scales can restart, and players/content creators who have been on pause can resume.

"However, we need to be very cautious and responsible towards the rules set by the government. We've had the misfortune of the game going the previous 2 times, but if we all approach this carefully, it'll be here to stay, and here to win!"

Qlan, The Gamer's Social Network on BGMI

Sagar Nair, Co-Founder & CEO, Qlan, The Gamer's Social Network 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," Mr Nair said.

"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," Mr Nair added further.

Rooter, Gaming and eSports Content platform

Piyush Kumar, Founder and CEO, Rooter, Gaming and eSports Content platform, stated the return of the beloved BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) has sparked joy and anticipation among gamers

"We at Rooter are delighted to join in celebrating this momentous occasion. 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 recognising Krafton's efforts to find a path to resolution.

"We are confident that Krafton will continue to work closely with the Government and the Gaming industry stakeholders. We are also excited about the possibilities that this development will unlock for the entire Gaming ecosystem in the country," Mr Piyush added.