BGMI Ban: Gaming Companies Write To PM Modi For 'Uniform And Fair Treatment'

Gaming platforms have reportedly urged the government to provide "a uniform and fair treatment of all entities operating in India".

BGMI is a rebranded version of PUBG Mobile.

New Delhi: After the government ordered Google and Apple to ban popular battle royale game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), some gaming companies have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting for a 'fair treatment' to help foster the gaming ecosystem in the country.

The gaming platforms have urged the government to provide "a uniform and fair treatment of all entities operating in India", according to sources.

"While capital and infrastructure are critical to the survival and development of the industry, the leading global video gaming companies with their experience and next-generation technology are needed for establishing a robust gaming ecosystem in India," read the letter.

"There is a greater need for a clear set of standards and framework to ensure fairness and uniformity to all stakeholders. The industry wishes to pro-actively engage with the government in forming a robust set of video games-centric policies based on global best practices," the letter noted.

TechCrunch was first to report about the letter.

ALSO SEE: BGMI Removed From App Stores: Here Are The Reasons Why The Battle Royale May Have Been Banned In India

Late last month, the government ordered Google and Apple to block the BGMI gaming app from their respective online stores under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The game developer Krafton had announced recently that BGMI surpassed 100 million registered users in India.

The letter requested Modi's urgent intervention in the matter, seeking his "counsel and guidance on working towards a more comprehensive dialogue and discussion in the future".

The ban on BGMI, which is the Indian version of PUBG, has resulted in a top e-sports event being postponed amid reports claiming a "China connection" behind the ban. For those unaware, BGMI is a rebranded version of PUBG Mobile, which was banned by the Centre along with 117 other Chinese apps back in September 2020. PUBG Mobile was eventually relaunched in 2021 as Battlegrounds Mobile India with certain tweaks and changes by South Korea-based Krafton.

Esports Premier League (ESPL) Season 2 was postponed owing to the ban last week. The esports event was set to see gamers from across the country with a prize pool of Rs 1 crore.

ALSO SEE: How India's eSports Industry Is Reacting To BGMI's Removal From App Stores

The Indian esports and gaming community has expressed its concerns if the game actually gets banned in the country.

Shivam Rao, co-founder of Trinity Gaming India, a marketing partner to BGMI, said, “As the marketing partners for BGMI we were pleased to notice the positive outcome in the industry with the birth of BGMI last year. But now, with this ban, the options for players and gamers reduce drastically. If the ban decision holds, we will probably see a decline in the number of gamers and their communities across India."

Parth Chadha, the CEO and co-founder of STAN, a blockchain-based eSports and gaming fan engagement startup said, “The recent removal of BGMI app from Play store and Apple App Store has caused a lot of uncertainty and upheaval amongst the BGMI-lovers' community in India — which is at the moment growing bigger with every passing day. This move, if it turns out to be a permanent one, affects the BGMI athletes in our country big time; hence the time is now to squad up together against this one.”

(With inputs from ANI)