India removes Battlegrounds Mobile game from app stores

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), the local version of battle royale game PUBG Mobile, has been removed from the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store in India, The Quint reported.

Photo credit: Olympics.com

Previously, PUBG Mobile was banned by India’s electronics and information technology ministry in September 2020 along with 117 other Chinese applications. The ministry cited that these titles were “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, security of the state and public order” as reasoning for the ban.

Krafton, the South Korean video game firm behind PUBG Mobile, later relaunched it in India under the new name BGMI, which recently passed 100 million registered users.

The ministry has not released an official statement over the latest development. However, the ban comes amid rising tensions between India and neighboring China.

Meanwhile, Krafton has clarified that BGMI was removed from app stores. “We will let you know once we get specific information,” the company added.

Google told Times of India that it had received an official order from the government to remove the game. “On receipt of the order, following the established process, we have notified the affected developer and have blocked access to the app that remained available on the Play Store in India,” a Google spokesperson said.

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