On July 28, the popular battle royale game in India, BGMI mysteriously disappeared from Google Play Store and App Store. Krafton released BGMI a year after PUBG mobile was banned by the Indian Government alongside other Chinese apps citing a ‘threat to national security.’ It now seems BGMI has been added to the list as the game got delisted in both the App Stores and the official download links from the game’s website are not working.
Responding to the reports raised by BGMI users, Google in an official statement 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.” MySmartPrice reached out to Krafton about the same issue and the company responded, “We are clarifying how BGMI was removed from Google Play and will let you know once we get specific information.”
On @Reuters – a source says BGMI game of Krafton banned under section 69A of IT law, often used to ban Chinese apps due to national security concerns. Krafton shares fell 9 pct in morning trade in South Korea pic.twitter.com/IaF727FFaV
— Aditya Kalra (@adityakalra) July 29, 2022
However the reasons behind the app’s removal are not yet made official, but a report from Reuters suggests that BGMI was banned Under Section 69A of IT Law, which is often used to block Chinese Apps due to national security reasons.
Also Read: BGMI Banned? Here are the 5 Best Alternatives: Apex Legends Mobile, COD Mobile, and More
BGMI is supposedly Banned under Section 69A of the IT Act
Apparently, the game is now not available to download from official sources like the Google Play Store and the App store. However, existing users who have the game installed on their devices can be able to play the game as usual as the game is working fine. At the time of writing, no statements on the game’s ban have been made by the Indian government officials.
Update: BGMI’s in-game app purchases have been restricted. Players are now unable to purchase UC.
According to Reuters, the Indian Government allegedly used India’s IT law to block the game in the country. They mentioned that the government blocked the game under the same provision of Indian Law that was used to ban Chinese apps since 2020, which is Section 69A of the IT Act.
Really comes as a shocker because the Growth of Esports in India has been tremendous.
All will come down to a stop if something happens to BGMI(Top esports game in India)
Trust will be broken.
People who HOPED, will remain hopeless.
I hope you look into the matter @GoI_MeitY— MortaL (@Mortal04907880) July 28, 2022
Section 69A of the Information Technology Act is used to restrict access to any content in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of the country, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order. PUBG Mobile, PUBG Mobile Lite, and Free Fire were banned under this same provisional Indian Law. Following this sudden removal, Krafton’ stock price on Korean Stock Exchange has fallen by 9% as it was the most popular mobile game in the Indian market.
