Why is BGMI blocked in India? Reason and official statements

In July 2022, just after BGMI successfully celebrated its first anniversary, things took a turn in a downward spiral. The battle royale title was abruptly withdrawn from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, leaving fans and players in a muddle.

This time, there was even more confusion because the Government of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had not released a circular as they had done in previous suspensions. However, reports suggested that the game was restricted for security reasons under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000, and a recent RTI confirmed the same.

A reply to the RTI report also confirmed Krafton’s meeting with the government and cleared all the air around the reason for the game’s ban.

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BGMI is blocked by MeitY under Section 69A

A Twitter user had filed an RTI seeking multiple answers from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, including the reason for the game's removal. The PIO officer furnished that MeitY had received requests from nodal officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Subsequently, the ministry initiated the action under Section 69A of the IT Act 2000. Furthermore, the reply added that due process is followed as defined in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.

The second question concerned whether there was a meeting between Krafton and government officials regarding BGMI’s removal from the store. The applicant sought details of any such meetings along with the minutes.

While this reply confirmed the occurrence of such a meeting, it did not dwell on the details. This is because Rule 16 of Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information for Public) Rules, 2009, requires strict confidentiality regarding such requests and complaints.

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Official developments

Krafton India's CEO released a statement right after the ban (Image via Sportskeeda)

Over the past few months, fans have been searching for positive news regarding the game’s potential comeback. However, there have not been many details disclosed other than Krafton has been in talks with relevant authorities to resolve the issue.

Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn reassured fans about the company's commitment to the Indian market while reiterating that Krafton had complied with all the rules and regulations. The executive had requested that the fans wait to hear from them. However, there has been no news in the last two months.

Krafton Inc's CFO also mentioned BGMI’s unavailability in India during the quarter two conference call. Bae Dong-Geun stated that they would closely cooperate with the authorities to find ways for the Indian players to keep enjoying the game.

The lack of BGMI 2.2 update has disappointed the fans (Image via Garena)

Since the 2.2 update was not released, and without the addition of new in-game content and additions, BGMI has become monotonous while the servers are still running. This has prompted many gamers to switch to other battle royale titles, including New State Mobile, Apex Legends Mobile, and more.

Even after months of the game's removal from the store, questions about its return remain open. For the time being, users can only hope for the game's comeback in the country and wait for official news from Krafton.