BGMI Ban Row: Battlegrounds developer Krafton to meet IT ministry officials

New Delhi: Krafton faced another setback in India after its another popular battle royale game, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), was removed from Google Play Store and Apple App Store on Thursday (July 28). As of now, neither the Indian government nor Krafton has shared the reason behind the removal of the popular game. However, it is assumed that the decision has been taken on orders of the Indian government, according to media reports. 

In response, the South Korean developer of the game is now reportedly seeking to hold a meeting with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to resolve the issue.

"We are clarifying how BGMI was removed from Google Play store and the App store and will let you know once we get specific information,” a Krafton spokesperson told MySmartPrice when asked about the reason behind the ban. 

For Krafton, this is the second instance when their popular title was removed from Indian app stores. In 2020, the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile, another much-loved battle royale game. 

At that time, PUBG Mobile was removed along with several other apps that had a connection with China. While Kratfon is based out of South Korea, its Chinese investor Tencent was seen as the major reason behind the ban. The move was a shocker for both the developers and gamers of the title. 

Krafton made a strong comeback with BGMI last year, receiving millions of downloads in no time. However, the removal of BGMI now must have probably added to the troubles of Krafton in India. And as a result, the company is now planning to discuss the matter with MeitY to resolve the issue, once and for all. 

TalkEsport reported that Krafton will meet MeitY officials tomorrow in relation to the alleged ban of the game. The report also noted that the ban was imposed on the game due to data migration concerns as well as its alleged China links.