NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday allowed to resume operations of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), the game suspended by the government from app stores in September 2020 citing security reasons, on a trial basis for three months.
The popular India-focused online multiplayer shooting game, banned following the Galwan clash as part of the cracked down heavily on Chinese apps, is expected to be available for download shortly.
The developer of the game, South Korean company Krafton Inc, is backed by China’s Tencent. BGMI will be the first app to make a comeback among the 300-odd apps that were banned by the government in the past couple of years. Krafton Inc in a statement said it is highly grateful to the Indian authorities for allowing it to resume operations of BGMI.
“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,” said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and Technology.
“We are excited to announce that BGMI will be available for download soon and we cannot wait to welcome you back to our platform. We believe in the power of gaming to bring people together and create unforgettable experiences. We are committed to delivering exceptional products and services to our users in India and beyond, and we look forward to continuing our journey with you,” said Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, of Krafton Inc India.
According to BGMI, it surpassed 100 million cumulative users shortly after a year of its launch. Since its inception, BGMI has contributed significantly to building a robust Esports ecosystem in the country by providing India-centric events and content. BGMI said it made history by becoming the first Esports event to be broadcast on mainstream television.