HIGHLIGHTS
* A media report indicates that BGMI is likely to come back to India.
* The government banned the game over alleged privacy and safety concerns in July.
* A number of rumours in the past have indicated the same.
* The report stated that the government has accepted to lift the ban on the game for a limited time period of three months.
* Moreover, Krafton had been asked to make certain changes to the original version of the game.
After being banned for months, the popular battle royale game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), which had 100 million users in India, might return to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the country.
Citing sources, a report by News18 said it was advised during a meeting with the Indian government to lift the ban for a limited time with certain alterations to BMI’s original version.
Most likely, the plan was made after the game developer made some changes and told the government it would follow all the rules.
Krafton’s Indian version of PUBG Mobile, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is likely to make a comeback soon to the digital storefronts (Google Play Store and App Store) after being removed from them over eight months ago.
According to the report, the government has allowed the app to be unblocked for a period of three months with certain changes made to the original version of the game.
The report stated that this decision has come after Krafton certain modifications and assured the government that the game will comply with all terms and conditions of the Indian Government.
While this can be a piece of great news for Indian BGMI enthusiasts, there are still questions about why the game was given a green signal despite intel reports indicating that the game was communicating with servers in China directly or indirectly.
The cited source claims that the game’s developer has agreed to make the required changes to the game and comply with all the government rules.
The report explicitly mentions that BGMI has been given a green signal by the Indian government, which suggests that the game could soon return to the country. But, what will be the changes in Battlegrounds Mobile India?
The cited source claims that one of the biggest changes that will be made to the game is the time limit.
One won’t be able to engage with BGMI in India for 24 hours as there will be some restrictions on hours of playing.
The company has reportedly confirmed to the Indian government that the game won’t have blood and its colour will be changed.
Earlier, the BGMI offered an option to change the colour of blood from red to blue or green. The latest version will enable this by default.
The government has asked the company to make some more changes, so that people don’t get addicted to the game and we don’t see reports of suicides.
The rest of the details are currently unknown.
Besides, AKOP from Orangutan Gaming, recently anticipated in an Instagram video that BGMI could arrive by mid-2023.
He also tipped that Battlegrounds Mobile India will arrive soon, but it will be launched by a new Indian publisher (company).
The game will likely be renamed and it won’t be available with the same name.
It is important to note that all the above-mentioned details are not officially confirmed by the gaming company or the Indian government.
Hence, people are advised to take these details with a pinch of salt. If BGMI is returning, then we should get an official confirmation in the coming weeks or months.
To recall, BGMI was banned in India back in July this year. The app got removed from Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
The game was blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000, which is the same Act under which PUBG Mobile and TikTok were banned around two years ago.
BGMI Return on the Cards, but with a Catch
The report claims that Krafton had a meeting with the Indian Govt. officials, and it has been recommended to unban the game for a limited time with certain modifications.
Following are the reported changes that Krafton needs to implement in BGMI to lift the ban:
Restricted Playtime: One of the major changes that will be implemented in the game is limited hours of playtime.
The Indian government has imposed the restrictions on the hours of playing to address addiction issues.
Earlier, several incidents of suicides and murders due to high addiction to PUBG Mobile and this game have been reported.
According to the report , players will no longer be able to play the game 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Instead, the publisher will have to set a time limit and restrictions on the number of hours spent playing.
Unfortunately, the report does not specify how many hours players can play the game.
No Blood: The second reported change that will take place in the game is the removal of blood.
The developers of the game have informed government officials that no blood will be used in the game.
According to the report, the colour scheme of the game will be changed.
As of now, the game only supports yellow and green blood (similar to the version currently available in China (Peacekeeper Elite).
This change was made in response to concerns about the game’s violent nature and its impact on young players.
Internal Changes and Server: The report also states that the Government has asked the publisher to make relevant changes in the game, including the server to combat addiction and prevent cyber threats.
The game has been accused of addiction, with reports of players becoming obsessed with it and committing violent acts.
Concerns have also been raised about user data being harvested for profiling in order to carry out targeted cyber-attacks on Indian users.
As a result, the firm has been asked to make the requisite internal changes and server changes made to address these concerns.
On 28 July 2022, BGMI was abruptly removed both Play Store and App Store.
The reasons for the removal of the game were unknown for a while.
Later, RTI confirmed that BGMI was officially banned by MeitY as per the requests made by MHA.
According to News18, a central intelligence agency report and communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) triggered a ban on the popular battle royal game.
Despite multiple rumours of the game’s reintroduction, it remains suspended, and the developer is maintaining silence about its current status.
However, with the publication of a recent report, there appears to be a ray of hope for the game, and its return may be on the horizon.
What might be the new changes in BGMI?
The report mentions that the app will be unblocked from e-stores for the first three months initially, and players wouldn’t be able to play the game for unlimited time in a day because there would be a time limit and restrictions on how long they could play.
Also, the company has told government officials that there won’t be any blood in the game because they will change its colour.
In the previous version, players could choose to change the colour of the blood from red to blue or green when it was shot, but now that will be the default setting.
Since the game was being blamed for murders and suicides by players obsessed with it, the government has asked the company for relevant changes in the game, including the server, the report said.
What triggered the BGMI ban in India?
PUBG’s Indian version BGMI was banned in July 2022 by the Indian government for alleged privacy and safety concerns in the country.
Earlier, a government official claimed that although the app has a number of problems, its main one was that it communicated with servers that are either directly or indirectly situated in China, highlighting a security issue for the country.
However, an RTI response revealed that the game was banned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) following requests from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), under the provision of section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Inf. union for Public) Rules, 2009.
This isn’t the first time that there have been talks of BGMI’s return. In December 2022, gaming content creators Pratik “Alpha Clasher” Jogiya and Sohail “Hector” Shaikh claimed that BGMI might return soon to Android platforms. However, not much clarity was provided on the matter.
It should be noted that the Indian government banned the popular PUBG, TikTok, along with 58 other Chinese apps over security concerns. BGMI was launched as an Indian version of PUBG in 2021.
Is the BGMI app Chinese?
A South Korean business called Krafton created and released BGMI. Tencent, a major Chinese gaming and technology player, owns a 13.5 per cent stake in Krafton. For those who are unaware, Tencent was PUBG Mobile’s first publisher.
Nevertheless, once the game was outlawed in India, Krafton acquired the publishing rights and re-released the title Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).
FAQ’s on BGMI
1) How to Download BGMI on iPhone & iPad?
Ans) The installation process on an iOS device is very easy. Follow the given steps and start playing the battle royale game.
• Open your iOS device and open the Apple App Store.
• In the search bar type “India Ka Battlegrounds” and from the results click on the “Get” button on BGMI.
• The game will begin downloading, so wait for the process to complete
• Once it is done, click on “Open”
• Start playing the game on an iOS device. (iPhone or iPad)
The process is the same for iPad users also.
2) Can I download BGMI in iOS after ban?
Ans) Open iCareFone and select the Manage tab. On the left-hand side, select the “Apps Download” menu. You will see a list of apps available to download. Simply select BGMI from the list, and it will be downloaded and installed on the connected iPhone.
3) What was the BGMI 2.5 Update Release Date?
Ans) With the server remaining open, the community has been constant queries around the arrival of a new version (major update) in Battlegrounds Mobile India. However, the title is yet to experience any update since July 2022.
Given the fact that battlegrounds Mobile India has been barred in India, it is very much unlikely that players will be able to explore the 2.5 Update. However, the recent set of events has heavily indicated possible changes with its global counterpart, PUBG Mobile celebrating its 5th Anniversary.
4) How to get BGMI Apk Download New Version 2023?
Ans) The Battlegrounds Mobile India APK download process is quite easy and straightforward. To download and install the latest version of BGMI successfully on their Android devices, players need to go through the steps given below.
First Step: Download the Apk file from the link given below.
Second Step: Battlegrounds Mobile India’s latest Apk Download link – Click here
Final Step: Use different installers to install the Apk file.
So, these are the steps to install the latest version of the title successfully.
5) What is BGMI Unban News Latest?
Ans) The popular title was ousted by the Government of India after they received several intelligence reports indicating its negative impact on the social life of gaming enthusiasts.
However, one of the major reason of its exclusion was the location of its server. Those reports strongly believed that the server was located in China.
Another thing that promoted Government of India to take necessary action against the title was the color of the blood shown in-game.
It was previously red and now, the game might have a few tweaks in terms to giving a different colors, navigating those obvious concerns. However, the main reason behind its return is not clear yet.
Claims from popular content creators of the community also suggest that the title is nearing its return.
If the title complies with the terms and conditions of GOI, we will see the game return sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, there have been also rumors of the title’s restrictions on playing for a specific duration of time.
However, the best strategy for the fans will be to wait for any sort of official clarification from either the developers of the title i.e KRAFTON Or The Government of India. So, it remains to be seen how things take place in the coming days and months.
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