Online Addiction: We are going to participate in 'Free Fire' Championship, runaway teens share their weird story

Cybercrime investigators had said Garena Free Fire and PUBG and Fortnite are online multiplayer survival games and let players talk, chat and engage with random participants. These games are usually free but have features to build the player's virtual character through points used to "buy" clothes, cars, and weapons.

Online games have become a thing of concern for kids these days. They are ready to go to any extent to play their favourite games. A similar incident happened in Nashik, Maharashtra where three kids aged 15, 16 and 17 years fled from their house without informing their parents to attend the Free Fire gaming competition. Passionate about playing this game, they had made it a point that they became really good at playing the Free Fire game.

The kids were nabbed by Nashik Police at the railway station after their parents complained that they hadn't returned after leaving since morning. They were travelling to Mumbai to participate in the gaming event.

CCTV footage helped police in tracking the kids' location as they were seen going towards the Nashik railway station and were waiting to board the train to reach Mumbai.

The parents informed police that they gave smartphones to the kids for their online classes during the pandemic. They had no idea about their kids' addiction to the Free Fire game.

Cybercrime investigators had said Garena Free Fire and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) and Fortnite are online multiplayer survival games and let players talk, chat and engage with random participants.

These games are usually free but have features to build the player's virtual character through points used to "buy" clothes, cars, and weapons.

Free Fire is a multiplayer battle royale game offered by Garena. It has already established itself in the mobile gaming industry. The game has come up with an update in the form of Free Fire Max.