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BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) is finally getting unblocked by the Government of India's MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) after being removed from Google Play and Apple App Store in July 2022. The good news was shared by South Korean game company Krafton, also the publisher and developer of BGMI, a few days ago with a surprise social media post.
In the past few days, the developers of Battlegrounds Mobile India made a major announcement about the game's future, much to the excitement of its players. The game servers have also been taken offline by the developers to prepare for the upcoming re-release.
From official announcement to servers being taken down: Developments that occurred around BGMI unban
Here's what has happened so far with the Battlegrounds Mobile India unban:
Battlegrounds Mobile India servers go offline on May 19
Since its ban in July 2022, the Indian PUBG Mobile variant has been missing from the Google Play and Apple App Store. Although the servers remained online, Krafton took them down on May 19, hinting at a potential unban. The servers have continued to stay offline at the time of writing, and the following pop-up message appears when players launch Battlegrounds Mobile India:
"Hello BGMI Fan! BGMI servers will be unavailable for a while to come up with a better and bigger experience. While we are working to give you a seamless experience, your account will be safe, and your progress till now will be retained. We will keep you informed of further developments and the release date through our social media platforms. With this, you're all geared up for a power-packed adventure! Remember, play responsibly! Game on! See you in the BATTLEGROUNDS! Love, KRAFTON"
Players cannot manually log into the game, but they can expect the servers to return online in the next few days.
Krafton confirms BGMI unban on May 19 via social media
On May 19, 2023, Battlegrounds Mobile India's Instagram account uploaded new posts for the first time since July 2022. Two new posts were uploaded by the South Korean developer Krafton to confirm the return of the Indian PUBG Mobile version.
In the posts uploaded by the developers, they expressed gratitude towards the Indian government authorities and Battlegrounds Mobile India fans, who supported the game throughout. Although no unban date was revealed, Krafton promised to update players and fans soon.
The same day Krafton India head Sean Hyunil Sohn tweeted about the game's return and received an overwhelming response from the community.
Indian Union Minister, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, confirms unban but terms it temporary
After Krafton posted about the game's return in India, the news was confirmed by the Government of India's Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar. He also confirmed that the game's unban is part of a three-month trial approval after Krafton complied with data security and server location issues.
MeitY is expected to keep a close eye on Battlegrounds Mobile India and its prevalent issues for the next three months before making a final decision about a permanent unban.
BGMI shows up in Google Play Store, but servers remain shut
The AOS (Android OS) download link on the game's official website prevents players from redirecting to the Google Play Store. Thus, players who haven't installed Battlegrounds Mobile India can do so. However, the game is still unplayable, as the servers remain closed.
Krafton has also confirmed that the game is still unavailable due to its servers being offline. Currently, players are expected to get a message via email from the developers regarding the game's availability, who have opted for a public test before its launch.
