Battlegrounds Mobile India

Lore & Background

Battlegrounds Mobile India originated after the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile on 2 September 2020, along with 117 Chinese applications, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. In November 2020, reports indicated PUBG Mobile would relaunch in India under the name PUBG Mobile India, and on 24 November 2020, The Times of India reported that PUBG Studios and Krafton had registered PUBG India Private Limited. In May 2021, it was reported that the game would be rebranded as Battlegrounds Mobile India, which Krafton confirmed on 7 May 2021. The game was announced on 6 May 2021, pre-registrations for Android began on 18 May 2021, and an early access beta was released on 17 June 2021. The full Android release followed on 2 July 2021, with iOS on 18 August 2021. The game was banned on 28 July 2022, and the ban was removed on 26 May 2023.

Reader's Guide

Battlegrounds Mobile India is significant as a localized version of PUBG Mobile tailored for the Indian market after the original game's ban. It became a major cultural and esports phenomenon in India, with over 270 million downloads by July 2022. The game features two official annual tournaments: the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) and the BGMI Pro Series (BMPS), both organized by Krafton India Esports. The BGIS 2026 offered a prize pool of ₹2 crore, while the BMPS has completed four seasons with multi-crore prize pools. The game's gameplay involves up to 100 players competing in a battle royale format, with shrinking safe zones, loot distribution, and tactical play. Its legacy includes a temporary ban by the Indian government, which was later lifted, and its role in fostering a competitive esports scene in India. The game continues to receive updates, such as the 3.5 update on 21 November 2024 introducing 120 fps support.

Did You Know?

• The game was banned in India on 28 July 2022 and the ban was removed on 26 May 2023.
• As of July 2022, BGMI surpassed 270 million downloads on the Google Play Store.
• The first BGMI esports tournament, the BGMI Launch Party, took place on 8–9 July 2021 and reached a peak of 547,888 viewers.

From Ban to Rebirth – The Road to BGMI

When the Indian government invoked Section 69A of the Information Technology Act in September 2020, PUBG Mobile was swept up in a sweeping ban that targeted 117 Chinese applications, with authorities citing concerns over sovereignty, defence, and public order. Rather than abandoning the massive Indian player base, Krafton and PUBG Studios moved quickly to find a path back. By late November 2020, the two companies had registered PUBG India Private Limited under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, signalling a serious commitment to the market. Over the following months the project evolved: in May 2021, Krafton issued a formal press statement confirming the relaunch under a new identity—Battlegrounds Mobile India. Pre-registrations opened on Android in mid-May, a closed beta followed in June, and the full release landed on 2 July 2021 for Android, with iOS players gaining access on 18 August. The rebranding was not merely cosmetic; it represented a deliberate effort to establish BGMI as a distinctly Indian product under Krafton's umbrella, one that could navigate the country's regulatory landscape while preserving the core battle royale experience that millions of players had come to love.

The Battle Royale Formula

BGMI follows the classic last-man-standing structure: up to one hundred players drop from a transport plane onto one of several maps, either solo or in squads of four. The flight path shifts every round, forcing quick decisions about where and when to eject. Players land with nothing but customised clothing that carries no mechanical advantage, then scramble through buildings, ghost towns, and open terrain to find weapons, vehicles, armour, and supplies. Items are procedurally scattered each match, with the most dangerous hotspots typically rewarding risk-takers with superior gear. Eliminated opponents can be looted, adding a layer of opportunistic combat. Players may switch between first-person and third-person perspectives, each offering distinct trade-offs in aim and situational awareness. The defining pressure comes from the shrinking safe zone—a shimmering blue wall that contracts every few minutes and deals escalating damage to anyone caught outside. Red-zone bombings and airdrop crates marked by bright red or yellow smoke inject additional chaos. A full match lasts roughly thirty minutes, a compressed window in which every engagement can be decisive.

Building a Competitive Ecosystem

Krafton India Esports structures the BGMI competitive calendar around two flagship tournaments each year: the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) and the BGMI Pro Series (BMPS). The competitive scene kicked off with the BGMI Launch Party on 8–9 July 2021, an invitation-only event featuring eighteen squads of four, including well-known Indian gamers like Adii "Dynamo" Sawant and Chetan "Kronten" Chandgude. The two-day bracket rotated through Erangel, Miramar, and Vikendi, and the live stream peaked at nearly 548,000 concurrent viewers. Team Snax—Raj "Snax" Varma, Samir "Kratos" Choubey, Randeep "Attanki" Bhallar, and Daljit "Daljit SK" Singh—dominated the event, finishing with 127 points and claiming ₹3.3 lakh from a ₹6 lakh pool. The subsequent BGIS expanded the field to all Indian residents aged sixteen and above holding at least a platinum rank, backed by a ₹1 crore prize pool with the champion team earning ₹50 lakh. The tournament's initial July 2021 start was postponed to address a surge in hacking, underscoring the challenges of securing a large-scale online competition.

Scale, Setbacks, and Resilience

BGMI's commercial footprint in India was staggering: by July 2022 the title had crossed 270 million downloads on the Google Play Store, cementing its position as one of the country's most-played mobile games. Yet that very success drew regulatory attention. On 28 July 2022, the Indian government once again banned the game, abruptly cutting off access for its enormous player base. The suspension lasted nearly ten months before Krafton confirmed in a public statement that the ban had been lifted on 26 May 2023, restoring the game to Indian app stores. In the interim and beyond, Krafton continued investing in the title's long-term viability. The A4 Royale Pass, live from 15 January to 4 March 2024, offered Standard and Exclusive Elite tiers with exclusive cosmetic rewards. More significantly, update 3.5, rolled out on 21 November 2024, delivered a long-awaited 120 frames-per-second mode for both Android and iOS, a technical upgrade that directly addressed a core demand from the competitive and casual communities alike.