The Indian government has hinted toward a possible ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI). However, an official announcement is yet to come. But the app has already been taken down from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store under section 69A of the IT Act.
It is said that the game is having a similar negative impact as PUBG Mobile did. PUBG Mobile was banned in September 2020 in the country. Hundreds of apps and games with Chinese links were also banned over security concerns simultaneously.
A ban on BGMI will undoubtedly affect India’s massive eSports industry. Being one of the most popular games, BGMI has more than 100 million registered users in the country.
The ban on PUBG mobile caused a sharp 70% fall in viewership among content creators. So, it’s a big concern for those who earn by streaming BGMI gaming sessions.
BGMI Masters Series, a popular eSports tournament, had prize money of ₹1.5 crores. Valiant is the second biggest eSports game in India. Still, its yearly prize pool is not even 15% of that of BGMI.
Notably, BGMI was launched in July 2021 as a rebranded version of PUBG based on Indian context. South Korean e-sports company ‘Krafton’ is the original publisher and distributor of the game.
