Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), previously known as PUBG Mobile India, is a version of PUBG Mobile, available in India. It is an online multiplayer battle royale game by Krafto…
Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), previously known as PUBG Mobile India, is a version of PUBG Mobile, available in India. It is an online multiplayer battle royale game by Krafton.
Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), previously known as PUBG Mobile India, is a version of PUBG Mobile, available in India. It is an online multiplayer battle royale game by Krafton. The game was initially released on 2 July 2021 for Android devices, and on 18 August 2021 for iOS devices. There are two official tournaments in a calendar year in BGMI, held by Krafton India Esports. The first is Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) and the later one is BGMI Pro Series (BMPS).
As of July 2022, BGMI surpassed 280 million downloads on the Google Play Store. The game was banned in India on 28 July 2022, by the Indian government. According to a statement from Krafton, the ban was removed on 26 May 2023.
Gameplay
Battlegrounds Mobile India is a battle royale game, in which up to 100 players compete in a large-scale last man standing deathmatch. Players can enter the match as individuals or as small group of friends up to four.
Each match starts with players parachuting from a plane onto one of the several maps. Each round, the plane's flight path across the map changes, requiring players to quickly determine the best time to eject and parachute to the ground. Players begin with no equipment other than customised clothing options that have no effect on gameplay. Once on the ground, players can search buildings, ghost towns, and other locations for weapons, vehicles, armour, and other items. At the start of a match, these items are procedurally distributed throughout the map, with higher-risk zones typically having better equipment. Finished players can also be looted for their gear. Players can choose to play in first-person or third-person, with each having advantages and disadvantages in combat and situational awareness.
Every few minutes, the map's playable area shrinks towards a random location, with any player caught outside the safe zone taking incremental damage and eventually being eliminated if the safe zone is not entered in time; in game, the boundary appears as a shimmering blue wall that contracts over time. This results in a more constrained map, which increases the likelihood of encounters. Random regions of the map are highlighted in red and bombed during the match, posing a threat to players who remain in that area. Players are warned a few minutes before these events in both cases, giving them time to relocate to safety. A plane will occasionally fly over different parts of the playable map at random, or wherever a player uses a flare gun, and drop a loot package containing items that are normally unobtainable during normal gameplay. These packages emit highly visible red or yellow smoke, attracting interested players and resulting in additional confrontations. A full round takes about 30 minutes.
Development
On 2 September 2020, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India banned PUBG Mobile, along with 117 Chinese applications, citing activities that were prejudicial and a threat to India's sovereignty, integrity, defence, state security, and public order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
It was reported in November 2020 that PUBG Mobile would be relaunched in India under the name PUBG Mobile India. On 24 November 2020, The Times of India reported that PUBG Studios and South Korea's video game company Krafton had registered PUBG India Private Limited under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India in order to relaunch PUBG Mobile in India.
It was reported in May 2021 that PUBG Mobile would be rebranded as Battlegrounds Mobile India in order to enter the Indian gaming market. Following that, The Indian Express reported on 7 May 2021 that Krafton confirmed in a press statement that they were going to launch Battlegrounds Mobile India, a game similar to PUBG Mobile.
Release
The game was announced on 6 May 2021. The pre-registrations of the game started for Android users on 18 May 2021 and early access beta version of the game was released on 17 June 2021 only for Android users. The game released on 2 July 2021 for Android devices, and on 18 August 2021 for iOS devices.
Battlegrounds Mobile India has announced a new A4 Royale Pass with exclusive rewards, available until 4 March 2024. This pass offers two options – Standard Royale Pass and Exclusive Elite Royale Pass, providing players with numerous awards and benefits. This Royale Pass will be live from 15 January 2024 to 4 March 2024.
On 21 November 2024, update 3.5 introduced much awaited features in the game like 120 fps for both Android and iOS users.
BGMI Launch Party
After Krafton launched BGMI in India, they hosted BGMI Launch Party, the first BGMI esports tournament, to celebrate the game's official release. The tournament took place from 8 July 2021 to 9 July 2021. It was exclusive to the most popular Indian gamers, such as Adii "Dynamo" Sawant and Chetan "Kronten" Chandgude, who were divided into 18 teams of four players each. The event was live-streamed on BGMI's official Facebook and YouTube pages and reached a peak concurrent viewership of 547,888, making it a success.
On both days, the teams played three matches on the game's maps Erangel, Miramar, and Vikendi, in that order. On the first day, Team Snax won all three matches, taking the lead with 76 points. On the second day, Team Snax won the first match, but Team Jonathan and Team Maxtern won the second and third matches, respectively.
Team Snax, consisting of players Raj "Snax" Varma, Samir "Kratos" Choubey, Randeep "Attanki" Bhallar, and Daljit "Daljit SK" Singh, emerged in first place with a total of 127 points and received ₹3.3 lakh (US$3,400) from the ₹6 lakh (US$6,200) prize pool. Team Kronten was the runner-up with a total of 63 points.
Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS)
Following the success of the Launch Party, Krafton announced its first Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS) esports tournament. The tournament was supposed to start in July 2021, but it was delayed due to increasing hackers. The India Series was open to all Indian residents aged 16 or older who