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The popular BR title BGMI was released last year during the Covid hiatus as the Indian variant of PUBG Mobile. Within a year, the battle royale title was among the most popular games in the country.
However, gamers who used to play PUBG Mobile Lite (before the game's ban in September 2020) have continuously requested that Krafton release a Lite variant of Battlegrounds Mobile India.
With the popularity of BGMI showing no signs of diminishing, fans of the Lite version were hopeful for the game's release. However, the recent suspension of Battlegrounds Mobile India will hinder the release of the Lite version in the near future.
How does the BGMI ban affect the release of the Lite version for Indian gamers?
July 28 became a turning point in the history of Indian esports as the popular action game Battlegrounds Mobile India was suddenly delisted from both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, taking the entire gaming community by shock.
The Indian government imposed a potential ban on the game due to a suspected privacy breach which was harmful to the country's security, integrity, and sovereignty. The game was delisted following the rules laid down in Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The potential ban has not only affected the rise of gaming in India but also delayed the possible release of BGMI Lite. Krafton has always focused on the development of the main variant of the game and is yet to officially release a statement regarding the Lite version's release. The company has only posted a poll on the official Discord server asking fans to cite reasons why they want to play the Lite version.
Hence, fans looking forward to the game might have to wait for an indefinite period to get their hands on it. If BGMI does not make a comeback, they may never get to see and play the Lite version of the game. It remains to be seen what measures Krafton implements to get the main variant back to virtual stores in the country before they potentially begin working on the Lite version.
Krafton's official statements on the BGMI ban so far
Krafton's CEO, Sean Hyunil Sohn, issued a statement mentioning that Krafton has always tried to protect user data and abide by the rules and laws of the Indian government. Thanking users and fans for their continuous support, he urged that they remain patient and wait for further announcements from the company.
Krafton's CFO, Bae Dong-geun, recently held a vital conference call where he talked about the company's take on the title's suspension. He agreed with Sohn and said that Krafton has always tried to respect and uphold India's privacy policies. He also mentioned that they were cooperating with the concerned authorities to make the game available in digital stores once again.
BGMI Lite fans are hoping that Krafton will take the necessary steps to get the main variant back, after which they can begin working on the release of the Lite version.
