BGMI Maker Krafton’s New Battle Royale Style Game Launched In India

South Korean gaming giant Krafton, with its Spanish counterpart ZeptoLab, has announced the official launch of its new shooter mobile game Bullet Echo India. 

It is pertinent to note that the game was released on the Google Play Store on April 4.

The India-focused mobile game by the makers of Battlegrounds Mobile India is a battle royale style multiplayer, Player vs Player (PvP), a shooting game where players team up, strategise, and fight in battles to be the last team standing.

The company claimed that the game has climbed to the top spot in the ‘Top Free,’ ‘Action,’ and ‘New’ categories on the Google Play Store since its release. 

The company said that the Bullet Echo India offers elements of India’s rich culture and history. It also promised events tied to Indian festivals in future. 

This comes just a month after the KRAFTON India arm selected the first cohort for its recently launched KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI).

Until now, Krafton India has selected two startups for the cohort, ReDimension Games and Shura Games.

Last year, KRAFTON committed to investing $150 Mn (over the next two to three years) in India towards Indian gaming and entertainment startups. The BGMI maker has been making investments in India since March 2021.

The company also relaunched “BGMI” in India last year after cutting ties with Tencent. The Indian government banned the game in July 2022, citing issues with Indian users’ data.

The Indian government in 2020 also banned its popular game PUBG Mobile, along with other apps with Chinese connections, under Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

Last year, Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn highlighted subsidies given to gaming companies for labour costs by countries like the UAE and Canada. Sohn added that ways could be found to promote the industry in India too.

However, hopeful for the future gaming penetration in India, Sohn said, “Indian gamers are now at 500 Mn with true gamers in the range of 100 Mn which is not as big as China or South Korea, but given the very inexpensive cost of mobile internet and wide penetration of smartphones, I think the number of gamers will increase very fast and… open up more opportunities for gaming companies like us.”

While the Indian real-money online gaming startup ecosystem is grappling with sustainability concerns after incurring a 28% GST on face value, there is a growing interest in casual and mid-core gaming in India.

Not to mention, Inc42’s report mentions that smartphone users in India are expected to reach 1.1 Bn by 2025.

Mid-core games, which include Free Fire and BGMI, demand a higher level of player engagement with more complex mechanics and elements, requiring a dedicated time commitment. 

As per industry experts, VCs can infuse anywhere between $3 Mn and $7 Mn in gaming studios in 2024.

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