BGMI may return in January 2023: Everything we know so far

Delhi : The Indian Government outlawed Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) in July 2022, just over a year after the game's release. This surprised the nationwide mobile gaming and esports community, although being anticipated given the geopolitical climate. The game had surpassed 100 million downloads on the Google Play Store right before it was banned. The actual number is probably greater when considering iOS and direct APK downloads from third-party app marketplaces.

The state and future development of the nation's esports industry have both been negatively impacted by this decision. Additionally, it has had an effect on Krafton's earnings, the South Korean game publisher that is responsible for BGMI. But as the year came to a close, rumours of the game's return in January 2023 gained momentum.

The most significant development, which occurred a few days before 2022 came to a close, is probably one of the most relevant ones. The Government of India Rules from 1961 regarding "online gaming" and "e-Sports" will be amended, per the President of India's directive. According to this change, "Matters connected to online gaming" would be handled by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport is also responsible for categorizing "e-Sports as part of multi-sports events" in India. However, this Gazette Notification leaves out a lot of important information. IGN India has contacted the government, but has not received a response regarding the effects of this decision, any future plans, or what "multi-sports events" actually imply these days.