"Garena is not doing enough" - Yash Bhanushali, Orangutan's founder, sceptical about Free Fire's unban and esports scene

It has been over a year since Free Fire was banned in India by MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), and there are still no signs of its return to the country's market. Orangutan India's founder Yash Bhanushali, who is pretty active on Twitter in putting forth his views about India's esports ecosystem, recently showcased his skepticism about Free Fire's ban getting lifted and its competitive scene.

Bhanushali, in a series of tweets, wrote about how Garena has not been actively working to bring its flagship game back to the Indian market. On February 24, 2023, Orangutan India's founder tweeted:

"Been getting a lot of DM's and tweets about Free Fire. My personal opinion is that Garena is not doing enough for the game to come back. A lot of careers are at stake in the indian ecosystem. My advice would be to find an alternative career."

Bhanushali followed the tweet by penning about Orangutan's plans to "shift its lineup to either MENA or Nepal," depending upon which region has "a direct slot for world series." Comparing Garena's lack of interest in continuing FF and FF MAX's esports endeavors in the Indian region, Bhanushali highlighted Krafton's efforts to bring BGMI back.

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"I am 100% sure that BGMI/PubgM will be back" - Yash Bhanushali compares the efforts of Krafton and Garena Free Fire's publishers

As Bhanushali criticized Garena on Twitter, he also displayed his hope for BGMI or PUBG Mobile's comeback due to the work Krafton is putting in to make the same happen. Bhanushali mentioned that the South Korean game studio has been "trying everything possible for the game to be back."

Aside from tweeting about Krafton and Garena's interests in bringing their respective games back, Bhanushali also tweeted:

"I am 100% sure that BGMI/PubgM will be back. To all the guys grinding FF, there are a lot of new games coming up with better roadmaps. Its not 100% confirmed that the game will not come back but complete silence from the game developer is worrying."

Highlighting the roadmap of Garena regarding the Free Fire esports scene, the Orangutan India founder also revealed that the esports organization "will do nationwide tryouts" to build a six-man roster. According to Bhanushali, Orangutan will send the team abroad to compete in FF tournaments, especially FFWS.

In a separate tweet, Yash Bhanushali also explained how nationalities would not hinder while switching regions to compete in esports. He further wrote that one would need a six-month stay and a registered firm (in the other country) while also requiring a work permit. He also claimed that Orangutan is currently working on the same.

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Note: Free Fire is banned in the Indian region according to sanctions by the Government. However, players of this region can download and play Free Fire Max.