The ban on BGMI attacks the field of eSports

Devdeep Dhar, also known as Soul Zeref in the gaming community, is worried that the ban could lead to another disruption in the eSports industry and affect the viewership of gamers who earn by streaming games. BGMI gaming session. For Indian eSports, BGMI is the biggest game right now, taking up all the major leagues, Dhar said. He says that even among those who stream games, there are many who have grown their audience from BGMI. “They didn’t know what to do. Some of them have millions of subscribers. They worry about their viewership,” he added.

While the government has yet to make an official announcement about banning BGMI, the app was taken down from Google Play and Apple App Store last week under Section 69A of the IT Act, raising concerns that it will go the same way with PUBG Mobile.

PUBG Mobile was banned in September 2020 along with hundreds of apps and games with China links due to security concerns. BGMI is a renamed version of the game with Indian content and is being distributed by the original publisher of the game Krafton, a Korean company. The game was launched in July 2021 after Krafton severed ties with China’s Tencent, which is distributing PUBG Mobile in India and was accused by the government of sending user data to China.

Although Krafton said it is in talks with the government to resolve the issue, many feel that if the stalemate continues, it will disrupt the gaming and eSports industry, with a massive following. of BGMI.

Rohit Jagasia, founder and chief executive officer of Revenant eSports said: “The BGMI ban will certainly be a step back for all major stakeholders such as league organizations, eSports teams, employees, etc. support staff and most importantly athletes.

Rohit Agarwal, founder and director of influencer marketing firm Alpha Zegus points out: “If BGMI is banned, the number of tournament sponsorships could be reduced and the prize size could be reduced until the industry is out. industry finds a solution.”

He added that when PUBG Mobile was banned, viewership among content creators dropped by nearly 70% as alternative titles didn’t have the same popularity and traction.

In recognition of BGMI’s popularity, the recently concluded BGMI Masters Series 2022, the first eSports tournament to be broadcast live on TV, generated 12.3 million views in its first eight days alone, according to the organizers. Nodwin Gaming, an eSports company.

BGMI Masters Series has a bonus amount of 1.5 crore is one of many eSports tournaments that revolve around the game. Krafton’s four official BGMI tournaments for 2022 have a total prize pool of 6 crores.

Another tournament, LAN BGMI Esports Premier League Season 2 Finals, where 1 crore is at stake, expected the first week of August. The large bounty is indicative of BGMI’s popularity among gamers and fans alike.

According to Dhar, Valorant is the second largest eSports game in India, but its annual prize pool is not even 15% of BGMI.

Agarwal at Alpha Zegus said that now, the online gaming space has shifted from being dependent on one big title to “focusing on the sport itself”.

While gamers prefer BGMI, Agarwal feels that they will eventually turn to another title, such as PUBG New State, for their streams and tournaments.

While the ban will be a setback for sponsors of game tournaments, it’s all about eyeballs. Agarwal said that online games are now commercially lucrative overlooked due to a ban on a game.

Sameer Barde, executive director of the Video Game Federation agrees that for gamers and the industry, there will be an impact on the industry due to the popularity of BGMI. But he is optimistic that the industry will find a way to work towards an alternative like it did after the PUBG Mobile ban.

“The industry as a whole shouldn’t stop for a game,” he added.

Gamers like Dhar also said that currently, there is no choice but to try other games like PUBG New State, another version of PUBG that was launched by Krafton last November.

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