Is PUBG Mobile India, BGMI, Permanently Banned in India?

In a sudden turn of events, India has blocked PUBG Mobile’s Indian alternative! The popular Indian game BGMI is no more available on the Google Play Store or Apple App store. However, the interesting news is another game of Krafton, PUBG New State, is still available for Indian players.   

Play Store and App Store removed BGMI  

It started on the evening of 28 July. Google App store suddenly removed Battlegrounds Mobile India or BGMI from the Play Store by providing important details shared by the Indian Government. The news comes as a shock for players, especially after the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile.   

On Thursday evening, BGMI was no longer available on the App Store as well as the Play Store. After searching, the results only displayed ‘New State Mobile’ (which is a different version of PUBG Mobile). 

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI)   

Krafton launched the PUBG Mobile alternative a few months ago in India. Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) was suddenly blocked on Thursday evening. And, it is no further available on the Google Play Store or Apple App store.   

As of now, Apple has not shared an official state on the removal. However, Google commented that the removal comes after a “government order”. According to a Google spokesperson: “On receipt of the order, following established process, we have notified the affected developer and have blocked access to the app that remained available on the Play Store in India.”  

At the current moment, Krafton is working with the government authorities to restore the game on the Play store. The BGMI developer said it is unaware of the reason behind the removal of the game from the app stores. In a statement, Krafton said it is clarifying why Google Play Store and App store. The company further added that it will update on the same after receiving specific information.   

Will BGMI come back?  

Currently, the important question is whether BGMI will come back to the Play store. We also don’t know whether the game has been banned permanently in India. Moreover, we do not have any concrete answers for that.    

As of now, BGMI is not permanently banned. However, we don’t know the exact reason behind the removal. But it is safe to assume that the government authorities removed BGMI as it disobeyed certain rules or guidelines of the land. Moreover, this is not the first time Google has blocked an app. In such a case, app developers work closely with the government and resolve the concerns. Krafton is possibly doing the same. A Reuters report reveals that the Indian government hasn’t responded to Krafton’s query yet.  

Currently, BGMI – the PUBG Mobile alternative – is no longer available for download on both Google and Apple App Stores. However, users who already have the game downloaded can play the game, but they say that they have received an update and have to log in all over again. 

Anwesha Mishra

Anwesha has been a creative writer for a while. Currently, on her pursuit of tech writing, she is diving into the realms of technology to produce better content on the forever-changing world of technology. In her free time, you’ll find her humming tunes of her favourite shows or reading a book.