South Korean gaming giant Krafton has announced the relaunch of the Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) app in India, 10 months after it was banned by the Indian government over alleged privacy and safety concerns.
In a statement on Friday, Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, KRAFTON, Inc. India, said, “We are highly grateful to the Indian authorities for allowing us to resume operations of BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI). We would like to extend our gratitude to our Indian gaming community for their support and patience over the past few months. We are excited to announce that BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA will be available for download soon and we cannot wait to welcome you back to our platform.”
He added, “At KRAFTON, Inc., we are deeply committed to the Indian gaming ecosystem. Our approach has always been India-first, which serves as the foundation of all our efforts. We believe in investing in the Indian gaming industry and contributing to building a vibrant ecosystem that fosters growth and innovation. To achieve our mission, we aim to augment technology developments in India by collaborating with local developers and promoting the use of cutting-edge technologies. We also recognise the importance of providing skilling and employment opportunities for Indian talent, which can help them nurture their skillset and thrive in the industry.”
Krafton noted that the company is humbled by the love it has received for BGMI, less than two years of its launch in India. The battle royale game surpassed 100 million cumulative users shortly after a year of launch. Since its inception, BGMI has been a significant part of the country’s Esports ecosystem, as it provided India-centric events and content. “BGMI made history by becoming the first Esports event to be broadcast on mainstream television, attracting 24 million concurrent viewers and a total of 200 million viewers,” Krafton added.
Vibhor Kukreti, Head Government Affairs, KRAFTON, Inc. India says, “We would like to express deep appreciation and gratitude to the authorities for permitting us to restart operations of BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI). KRAFTON, Inc. is a responsible South Korean organisation that abides by the law and has put in place several measures to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations. We work tirelessly to ensure that India takes the lead in this domain, by embracing innovative practices in collaboration with the gaming ecosystem to support, sustain and promote its growth.
KRAFTON, Inc. is a South Korean collective of independent game development studios brought together to create entertainment experiences for gamers across the world. The company consists of Bluehole Studio, Striking Distance Studios, RisingWings, Dreamotion, Unknown Worlds and 5minlab.
KRAFTON is responsible for entertainment properties such as PUBG, BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI), Road To Valor: Empires, NEW STATE MOBILE, The Callisto Protocol, Moonbreaker, TERA, and ELYON. KRAFTON, Inc. has also been investing in Indian start-ups since late 2020. So far, the company has invested over $100 million in several Indian start-ups in the field of interactive entertainment, gaming, Esports and technology such as Nodwin Gaming, Loco, FRND, Pratilipi, One Impression, Nautilus Mobile, Kuku FM, and Lila Games.