Battlegrounds Mobile Surpasses 100 Mn Registered Users In India

Popular esports game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has reportedly raked up 100 Mn registered users in the country.

“We have brought in major tournaments, Indian-themed collaborations, and celebrated India-centric events with the community with a goal of curating gameplay unique to our Indian users,” news agency IANS quoted Krafton chief executive officer (CEO) Changhan Kim as saying.

Game developer Krafton operates BGMI and is one of the most popular games in its portfolio. BGMI is the Indian version of popular game PUBG Mobile and is built exclusively for India.

“We are positive about the opportunities in the country and are committed to creating a robust gaming ecosystem. Our focus is pivoted towards constantly elevating the mobile gaming experience for our growing community and to invest in the flourishing startup landscape here”, Kim said.

Media reports had earlier noted that the South Korean game developer was planning to invest $100 Mn in Indian startups this year. 

In February this year, Krafton picked up a minority stake in JetSynthesys-owned Nautilus mobile for $5.4 Mn. 

BGMI is an online multiplayer battle royale game developed and published by Krafton. The game was released in July last year for Android devices and in August for iOS devices.

Beneficiary Of Crackdown On Chinese Apps

In September 2020, the Indian government announced a massive crackdown on Chinese apps. It banned 117 apps, including the popular PUBG Mobile, over data security concerns.

Post the ban, Krafton revoked its ties with Tencent in India and announced that it would launch an India-exclusive version of the popular esports game. Months later, it unveiled the game in the form of Battlegrounds Mobile India. 

Previously, the South Korean game developer held the intellectual property rights to the game, while Tencent Games was PUBG Mobile’s distribution partner in India.

According to Statista, India’s esports industry churned out a revenue close to INR 2.5 Bn in 2021.The same number is projected to soar to INR 11 Bn by 2025.

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