By Sagar V. Mankar 
In July 2022, India blocked access to the wildly popular battle royale game BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) over data privacy concerns.
After nearly a year of negotiations between the game’s developer Krafton and the Indian government, BGMI finally made its triumphant return in May 2023.
However, the story behind this return is quite intriguing. Recently, Krafton CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn shared his insights on the strategy to revive the banned game.
BGMI’s Sudden Disappearance Stuns India’s Gaming Scene
BGMI was the India-specific version of Krafton’s popular battle royale PUBG Mobile.
At the time of its removal, BGMI was India’s top mobile esports, boasting over 100 million registered users.
In July 2022, the sudden ban surprised both gamers and esports organizations, who had come to rely on BGMI tournaments and streaming.
However, that was not the first time this happened.
The game also faced a ban in 2020 along with TikTok amid tensions between India and China. But with localized servers in India, and breaking the game’s connection from Chinese giant Tencent (for India only) the game made a return a year later.
Despite that regulators still had concerns over privacy, which led to the next ban.
Krafton Focuses on Government Engagement
In an interview with the Times of India, CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn offered an interesting perspective on addressing the regulator’s concerns and attempting to lift the ban.
He said, rather than protest publicly, Krafton India worked behind the scenes to address the government’s issues. This included:
- Moving BGMI data away from servers with Chinese connections
- Committing further investments in India
- Implementing time limits and other safeguards for players
Krafton refrained from antagonizing regulators. Instead, Sohn focused on constructive engagement, with the goal of restoring BGMI under Krafton’s full control.
BGMI Returns After Meeting Conditions
In May 2023, BGMI resumed operations after fulfilling the conditions set by the government.
The officials felt comfortable lifting the ban after observing Krafton’s modifications and commitments over a 3-month evaluation period.
Exactly what modifications were made remains unclear.
But realigning data storage away from Chinese servers was likely a key point.
Additionally, Krafton made a commitment to invest over $150 million into the Indian gaming ecosystem through various means.
BGMI Ecosystem Springs Back to Life
BGMI’s relaunch has re-energized India’s gaming and esports scene.
Top tournament organizers have resumed BGMI events, delivering a revenue boost.
Popular streamers returned to broadcasting BGMI as viewership spiked.
By July 2023, BGMI hit 30 million monthly active users – even higher than its pre-ban peak.
This time, gamers hope that regulators will remain satisfied with the game’s safeguards and not ban it again.