Why was BGMI banned? Horrific murder behind Battlegrounds Mobile India ban?

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has been banned in India! BGMI ban in India will come as a big shock to millions of fans who had downloaded the game. BGMI is one of the most popular online games in India. Know why was BGMI banned in India.

Here’s why the popular mobile game BGMI has just been banned in India. (BGMI)

Popular online game Battlegrounds Mobile (BGMI) has been banned in India. BGMI players were left shocked with this sudden decision as the game disappeared from the Google Play Store and the App Store without any prior notice or information. Now, gamers cannot download BGMI app on their devices.

Battlegrounds Mobile India was launched in India in 2021 as a replacement for the already banned PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile, popularly known as PUBG Mobile India. PUBG Mobile was banned due to its links with China which posed a risk to state security. Subsequently, another popular mobile game known as Garena Free Fire was also banned due to the same reasons. BGMI was released after PUBG's ban due to high demands from PUBG's player base and it became an instant hit.

BGMI is based on PUBG but it was released by South Korean company Krafton. Since the mobile game seemingly had no ties to China, people were left confused as to why it disappeared from the Google Play Store and the App Store.

Google said, “On receipt of the order, following established process, we have notified the affected developer and have blocked access to the app that remained available on the Play Store in India.”

Krafton initially released a statement saying, “we are clarifying how BGMI was removed from Google Play and will let you know once we get specific information.”

Manish Singh from TechCrunch took to Twitter to share that “BGMI has been pulled from the Play Store because of a government order - a person familiar with the matter.” But now, the apparent reason for the ban has been revealed.

Why was BGMI banned?

Although a clear reason hasn't been specified, it is rumoured the ban is over an alleged recent killing over the game. A mother was shot and killed by her 16-year-old son over an argument regarding online games like BGMI and PUBG. Therefore, the ban appears to be on the basis of this incident. Will the ban over BGMI be lifted? It is still unclear.