Battlegrounds Mobile India
Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI),[5] previously known as PUBG Mobile India[6] is a version of PUBG Mobile, exclusively available in India.[7][8][9][10] It is an online multiplayer battle royale game by Krafton.[11] The game was initially released on 2 July 2021 for Android devices,[11] and on 18 August for iOS devices.
| Battlegrounds Mobile India | |
|---|---|
Official logo | |
| Developer(s) | Krafton[1][2] |
| Publisher(s) | Krafton |
| Director(s) | Sean Hyunil Sohn |
| Composer(s) | Tom Salta |
| Series | PUBG Universe[3][4] |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter Third-person shooter Battle royale |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
As of July 2022, BGMI surpassed 151 million downloads on Google Play store.[12] The game was banned in India on July 28, 2022, by the Indian government.[13] According to a statement from Krafton, the ban was removed on May 26,2023.[14]
Gameplay edit
Battlegrounds Mobile India, or BGMI, is a TPP-FPP survival shooter game in which up to 100 players compete in a battle royale, a type of large-scale last man standing deathmatch in which players compete to be the last one standing. Players can enter the match as individuals or as small groups of up to four.
Each match starts with players parachuting from a plane onto one of the following seven maps
- Erangel (Themed / Normal)
- Miramar
- Vikendi
- Livik (Themed / Normal)
- Karakin
- Sanhok
- Nusa
Each round, the plane's flight path across the map changes, requiring players to quickly determine the best time to eject and parachute to the ground. Players begin with no equipment other than customised clothing options that have no effect on gameplay. Once on the ground, players can search buildings, ghost towns, and other locations for weapons, vehicles, armour, and other items. At the start of a match, these items are procedurally distributed throughout the map, with higher-risk zones typically having better equipment. Finished players can also be looted for their gear. Players can choose to play in first-person or third-person, with each having advantages and disadvantages in combat and situational awareness.
Every few minutes, the map's playable area shrinks towards a random location, with any player caught outside the safe zone taking incremental damage and eventually being eliminated if the safe zone is not entered in time; in game, the boundary appears as a shimmering blue wall that contracts over time. This results in a more constrained map, which increases the likelihood of encounters. Random regions of the map are highlighted in red and bombed during the match, posing a threat to players who remain in that area. Players are warned a few minutes before these events in both cases, giving them time to relocate to safety. A plane will occasionally fly over different parts of the playable map at random, or wherever a player uses a flare gun, and drop a loot package containing items that are normally unobtainable during normal gameplay. These packages emit highly visible red or yellow smoke, attracting interested players and resulting in additional confrontations. A full round takes about 30 minutes.
Development edit
On 2 September 2020,[15] the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India banned PUBG Mobile, along with 117 Chinese applications,[16] citing activities that were prejudicial and a threat to India's sovereignty, integrity, defence, state security, and public order[16] under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.[17]
It was reported in November 2020 that PUBG Mobile would be relaunched in India under the name PUBG Mobile India.[18] On 24 November 2020, The Times of India reported that PUBG Studios and South Korea's video game company Krafton had registered PUBG India Private Limited[19] under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India in order to relaunch PUBG Mobile in India.[20]
It was reported in May 2021 that PUBG Mobile would be rebranded as Battlegrounds Mobile India in order to enter the Indian gaming market.[21] Following that, The Indian Express reported on 7 May 2021 that Krafton confirmed in a press statement that they were going to launch Battlegrounds Mobile India, a game similar to PUBG Mobile.[22]
Release edit
The game was announced on 6 May 2021.[23][24] The pre-registrations of the game started for Android users on 18 May 2021[25][26] and early access beta version of the game was released on 17 June 2021 only for Android users.[27] The game released on 2 July 2021 for Android devices,[11] and on 18 August 2021 for iOS devices.[28]
BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) has announced a new A4 Royale Pass with exclusive rewards, available until March 4, 2024. This pass offers two options – Standard Royale Pass and Exclusive Elite Royale Pass, providing players with numerous awards and benefits. This Royale Pass will be live from January 15, 2024, to March 4, 2024.[29]
Controversies edit
On 21 June 2021, following the early beta release for Android users, IGN India first reported that data from users' Android devices was being sent to Tencent-owned servers in China.[30] "One reason for this could be because Krafton is allowing BGMI players to transfer their account and game data from PUBG Mobile to BGMI until December 2021," according to The Times of India.[31] Following this data sharing violation, Krafton, the developer of BGMI, issued a brief in-game update on 22 June 2021[32] to resolve the data sharing issue with China-based servers.[33] However, it has been reported that if a user deletes the application data, the game may ping Chinese servers.[33][32]
Ban in India edit
On 28 July 2022, the game was removed for some reasons from Google Play and App Store following a government order, but the game was working without any VPN.[34][35]
On 19 May 2023, Krafton released a notice saying that BGMI is getting relaunched for a trial period after a 10-month long dispute.[36]
The game was made available to download on May 27 for Android users and May 29 for iOS users. However, on both the platforms, it was playable only after May 29.[37]
References edit
- ^ "After months-long wait, Battlegrounds Mobile India goes live on iOS". The Financial Express (India). 18 August 2021. from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ "Krafton officially launches Battlegrounds Mobile in India to repeat PUBG success". The Economic Times. 3 July 2021. from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ . pubg-universe.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ Fenlon, Wes (8 August 2021). "PUBG Universe, PUBG is called PUBG: Battlegrounds now?". PC Gamer. from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ "Battlegrounds Mobile India launch: Get BGMI Early Access file; also check APK+OBB download links". Zee Business. 19 May 2021. from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ Singh Arora, Karanveer (21 November 2020). "PUBG Mobile India relaunch: Reactions from the gaming community". The Indian Express. from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ "PUBG Mobile officially renamed as Battlegrounds Mobile India, website goes live". Times of India. 6 May 2021. from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Battlegrounds Mobile India will replace PUBG Mobile in India, KRAFTON officially unveils the logo". Firstpost. 6 May 2021. from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "PUBG Mobile's parent company announces launch of Battlegrounds Mobile India". Business Today. 6 May 2021. from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "Krafton announces PUBG Mobile to return as 'Battlegrounds Mobile India'; registrations to open soon". The Indian Express. 7 May 2021. from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ a b c "Battlegrounds Mobile India officially launched in India: Launch details, in-game content, free rewards and more". The Times of India. 2 July 2021. from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- ^ "Battlegrounds Mobile India clocks 100 million users, completes one year in India". The Indian Express. 2 July 2022. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ "BGMI banned in India over 'data sharing' concerns: Report". www.livemint.com. 29 July 2022. from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Desk, TN Tech (27 May 2023). "Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) Now Available for Preload: Gameplay Set to Start From Monday". TimesNow. from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "PUBG Ban: PUBG Mobile is Still Working in India After Ministry Bans The Game". India.com News. 8 September 2020. from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ a b "PUBG Mobile, 117 Chinese apps banned in India: Check the full list". The Indian Express. 5 September 2020. from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ Bhushan, Kul (3 September 2020). "PUBG Mobile ban: Here's why the Indian government blocked the game". HT Tech. from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ "PUBG Mobile coming back to India: Here's everything you need to know". The Indian Express. 12 November 2020. from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ "PUBG India is now a registered company in India; do pre-registration to download PUBG mobile this way". Zee Business. 24 November 2020. from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ Sarkar, Debashis (24 November 2020). "Government approves PUBG India company registration; PUBG Mobile game to relaunch soon". The Times of India. from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ Dogra, Sarthak (5 May 2021). "PUBG Mobile may return as Battlegrounds Mobile India, here is what to expect". India Today. from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Krafton announces PUBG Mobile to return as 'Battlegrounds Mobile India'; registrations to open soon". The Indian Express. 7 May 2021. from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Wait over? PUBG Mobile India aka Battlegrounds Mobile India may arrive as early as this month". India Today. 6 May 2021. from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "Krafton announces launch of Battlegrounds Mobile India, logo revealed". India TV. 6 May 2021. from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "Battlegrounds Mobile India is now open for pre-registration on Google Play Store". Firstpost. 18 May 2021. from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "Battlegrounds Mobile India pre-registration to begin TODAY: Things to know". DNA India. 18 May 2021. from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "Battlegrounds Mobile India now available to download as early access on Google Play". India Today. 17 June 2021. from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ "Battlegrounds Mobile India is now available on iOS: Download details, rewards and more". Times of India. 18 August 2021. from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "BGMI A4 Royale Pass Released with Exclusive Rewards". 25 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ Alwani, Rishi (21 June 2021). "Battlegrounds Mobile India Android Data Sent to China Server [UPDATE]". IGN India. from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ "Battlegrounds Mobile India found sharing data with Chinese servers". The Times of India. 21 June 2021. from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ a b Alwani, Rishi (22 June 2021). "Battlegrounds Mobile India Update Fixes China Server Data Sharing". IGN. from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Battlegrounds Mobile India is now 'safe' to play: Report". The Times of India. 22 June 2021. from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ Livemint (29 July 2022). "BGMI banned in India over 'data sharing' concerns: Report". mint. from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Ashim (29 July 2022). "Why BGMI is still working on mobile devices despite ban from Play Store". www.sportskeeda.com. from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Sengupta, Abhik (19 May 2023). "BGMI unbanned: Battlegrounds Mobile India will return soon, developer Krafton confirms". India Today. from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ "BGMI is now available for 'preload' in India, here's when gamers can start playing". The Times of India. 27 May 2023. from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
External links edit
- Official website