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In an unexpected turn of events, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), the popular battle royale game from Krafton, has been removed from both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
After the Indian government announced an indefinite ban on PUBG Mobile along with hundreds of other Chinese applications in 2020, Krafton proceeded to develop an Indian version of PUBG Mobile called Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).
The company took certain steps in order to comply with the Indian government's regulations including cutting ties with Chinese developer Tencent, reworking game mechanics and effects and also pledging a $100 million investment in India’s mobile gaming ecosystem.
"With privacy and data security being a top priority, Krafton will be working with partners to ensure data protection and security at each stage. This will ensure privacy rights are respected, and all data collection and storage will be in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in India and for players here," Krafton had said in a statement during the game's launch.
The Indian exclusive title was launched on July 2, 2021, much to the delight of mobile gamers in the country. Since its launch, BGMI has surpassed 100 million users in India, the company announced earlier this month.
However, on Thursday, the mobile gaming community in India was left in a state of disbelief after the game mysteriously disappeared from both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
It is uncertain why the Indian government had issued the order to ban BGMI in the country. Incidentally, Krafton's other mobile Battle Royale game, NEW STATE Mobile, is still available on both platforms.
Another thing to note is that, existing users on both android and iOS devices can still play the game without any issues.
Meanwhile, Google issued a statement on the ban, stating, "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."
Apple and Krafton are yet to post any official statement on the ban.