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Diptanshu Saini, the co-founder of Chemin Esports, has confirmed that Free Fire is all set to return to India with the official re-release of its Max version. Fans are now looking forward to the comeback of the title following the unban of BGMI in May this year. However, Garena has not officially commented on its return since the mobile title was banned in February 2022.
Diptanshu Saini shared the Chemin Esports' 2021 FFPL trophy on his Instagram and wrote:
"I am happy to share that the wait is finally over."
He exclusively told Sportskeeda:
"Free Fire is coming back in India with the launch of Free Fire Max, which will be the official game."
It is worth mentioning that the Max version was not removed from the Google Play Store after its ban in India. However, the App Store has removed both versions from the platform. No official tournaments have been conducted by Garena since its ban in early 2022.
Free Fire ban in India: Everything to know
On February 14, 2022, the Government of India suddenly blocked a total of 54 applications, including Free Fire, from the Google Play and App Store, citing security concerns. While the Max version was not on that list, it was removed from the App Store as well.
The ban also came as a setback for its esports players as registration for the India Championship 2022 Spring was completed. The Closed Qualifiers was scheduled to begin on February 16, but unfortunately, the event had to be canceled due to the ban.
On July 28, the Uttar Pradesh Government also met with the Garena officials to boost the esports scene in the state. Girish Chandra Yadav, a UP cabinet minister, shared a picture of the meeting on his Twitter account.
How Free Fire unban could boost esports landscape in India
Before its ban, the battle royale title was one of India's most adored mobile games. The publisher used to host several grand tournaments with substantial prize pools up for grabs. The company had even announced four major tournaments for the 2022 season with a huge prize pool of over ₹2.7 crore.
With the official re-release of the Max version, the game can easily rebuild its fan base. Several players still play this version, which is available for download via the Google Play Store. Many third-party tournaments host tournaments in the country.
Garena will then be able to organize the official events in India. Recently, the publisher announced the format and schedule for its flagship 2023 World Series (FFWS) tournament for November this year.
If the game manages to return to India, there would be a possibility that Indian teams could be invited to that mega event.
Check out the latest Free Fire MAX redeem codes here.
