Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is reportedly available to download on specific Android devices. Several users online have spotted the once-tarnished battle royale game on the Google Play Store, ready to download without any prior date confirmation from publisher Krafton. Gadgets 360 can confirm the same, albeit only through the web (browser) version — the title won’t show up in most of the review units of phones we have in our possession. Late last week, Krafton confirmed that the Indian government allowed them the resume operations of BGMI in the country, following a 10-month ban over security concerns.
It appears some users have been able to download BGMI on their devices and run it, as long as they use the Play Store URL to access it. The game isn’t natively listed on either Google or Apple’s app storefronts, and therefore, won’t show up if you search for it directly. That said, users who have managed to download the game haven’t been able to play it yet since the servers are currently offline. “Server is not online yet. Please check the official news for further information regarding availability,” the warning message from a user’s screenshot reads. Speaking of availability, Krafton had simply stated that BGMI will be available in the country ‘soon,’ offering no further details besides simply being grateful to the Indian government.
At the time, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics & Technology added that BGMI had been approved by the government for a three-month trial period, during which the game will be monitored to ensure there are no issues of “user harm” or “addiction.” Moreover, the title is reported to be making several adjustments, starting with a set playtime restriction — limited to a certain number of hours — that is presumably aimed at lowering addiction risks. Gore also seems to be the target, with the default colour of blood being changed from red to green or blue.
BGMI was entirely pulled from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in July 2022, under Section 69 of the IT Act. The move in turn heavily affected the Indian e-sports industry, which saw a boom in mobile gaming when PUBG came around. A BGMI tournament also aired on mainstream television — couple of weeks before the ban — with a prize pool of Rs. 1.5 crore, highlighting its demand in the country. More recently, Dead by Daylight Mobile was delisted from mobile storefronts without providing an explicit reason. However, we can assume it had to do with the game’s publisher NetEase, which is a Chinese company responsible for distribution within Japan, Korea, and South Asian countries.
Currently, Krafton hasn’t provided any official release details for Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).