Ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) will be temporary and make a comeback, says Skyesports CEO

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) celebrated its first anniversary on July 1 by claiming that the game had surpassed 100 million registered users in the country. However, things turned sour when the game was removed from Google Play and the App Store later in July following a government order. Skyesports CEO and founder Shiva Nandy recently weighed in on the development, saying the ban was temporary. He added that developer Krafton had been notified by the government a week prior.

According to a report from MySmartPrice, Nandy shared a statement via Instagram to reveal that the BGMI removal was supposed to last for five months. Krafton was reportedly notified by the government a week before the ban took effect.

He also assured BGMI fans that the government has just passed an interim order to block the game – BGMI has not been totally banned in India yet. Nandy also hinted that TikTok might also be set to return to India soon. TikTok has not been available in India since June 2020.

BGMI is developed by the South Korean studio Krafton which is supported by the Chinese Tencent Games. The game was reportedly blocked by the Indian government for sending user data to Chinese servers. Its disappearance from Google Play and the App Store didn’t sit well with fans, including the esports community as #BGMI and #BGMIban started trending on Twitter. Notably, New State Mobile, a separate game published by Krafton, is still available on both app stores.

For a year since its launch in July 2021, BGMI has amassed a massive following in India. It is said to have attracted more than 100 million registered users in the country. It has gained popularity among content creators and a major esports scene has grown around BGMI. Krafton reportedly plans to hold four professional and semi-professional BGMI tournaments in India. The developer is also said to have invested around $10 million (about Rs 80 crore) to develop the local gaming and esports industries.

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