The Indian version of PUBG game renamed as Battlegrounds Mobile India by South Korean video game developer Krafton aims to bolster the esports market in India. The game will offer a world-class AAA multiplayer gaming experience on mobile. Battlegrounds Mobile India will release with exclusive in-game events like outfits and features and will have its own esports ecosystem with tournaments and leagues. The game will launch as a free-to-play experience on mobile devices.
Battlegrounds Mobile India, a battle royal experience, will have a period of pre-registration before the launch. Krafton will collaborate with partners to build an esports ecosystem while bringing in-game content regularly, starting with a series of India-specific in-game events at launch, to be announced later. 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.
Detailing about the decision, Esports Federation of India Director & Asian Esports Federation (AESF) Vice President Lokesh Suji said, “It’s good to see that Krafton has considered the Indian requirements and has modified the game and this will surely fuel the Indian esports ecosystem. Krafton has been already taking positive initiatives in the Indian market in the last few months which is very heartening to see and also highlights the capability of the esports ecosystem in India.”
He further added, “We request other game developers as well to follow a similar model and customise India-specific games thereby create more value for the Indian esports community and encourage the local gamers & esports athletes to take this sport as a viable career option. As a federation, we have always supported and encouraged any initiative which has India at the core with the possibility to become a powerhouse in esports. We also urge and hope that Indian gaming developers will also follow suit and come up with more esports titles that will fuel and strengthen the esports ecosystem in India.”
Commenting on this development, Ultimate Battle, India’s first-ever one-stop online esports platform, Founder Tarun Gupta commented, “Battlegrounds India, a PUBG Mobile variant’s India launch has been highly anticipated in recent months. Krafton has been very active in the Indian market recently which was an indication that the PUBG Mobile variant may soon see the daylight in India. At Ultimate Battle, we are excited to hear about this and will be adding Battlegrounds India on the platform as soon as it launches. We forecast to see the downloads cross the 1m+ mark in the first week of the launch.”
Excited about the launch, India’s top gaming talent management firm Trinity Gaming Co-Founder & COO Shivam Rao said, “We are thrilled & excited, as the countdown for the launch of Battlegrounds mobile India has officially begun. We believe this time, it is not just a game it’s an opportunity for the whole gaming community to grow and increase their brand value in the industry. The game will be a huge step towards the successful future of esports in India. We believe the content creators community will get a major boost once the game will be launched and it will fuel our ambition of creating a unique ecosystem for the gaming content creators to make a serious career out of their passion.”
