Singapore tech giant Garena, the gaming branch of Sea Limited, has announced that it is delaying the much-anticipated launch of its battle royale title Free Fire India by ‘a few more weeks,’ the company stated on September 4th.
It was expected that the game would be available for download in India from September 5th, marking its return after being suspended for nearly two and a half years due to national security concerns. It’s worth noting that Garena also continues to offer a more premium version called ‘Free Fire Max’ that was not suspended by Indian authorities.
सिंगापुर टेक दिग्गज सी कंपनी की गेमिंग शाखा गरेना ने 4 सितंबर को कहा।, अपने बैटल रॉयल टाइटल फ्री फायर इंडिया के बहुप्रतीक्षित लॉन्च को ‘कुछ और हफ्तों’ के लिए स्थगित कर रही है,
उम्मीद थी कि यह गेम 5 सितंबर से भारत में डाउनलोड के लिए उपलब्ध होगा, जो राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा चिंताओं के कारण लगभग डेढ़ साल तक निलंबित रहने के बाद इसकी वापसी है। यह ध्यान देने योग्य है कि गरेना ‘फ्री फायर मैक्स’ नामक एक अधिक प्रीमियम संस्करण भी पेश करना जारी रखता है जिसे भारतीय अधिकारियों द्वारा निलंबित नहीं किया गया था।
Free Fire India Launch Delayed: Garena Reveals New Timeline for Release
The company stated that it is postponing the launch of Free Fire India to ensure that they can provide the “best possible experience to all our Free Fire India fans,” aside from improving gameplay, they are taking some time to fully address the localization for the Indian experience.
MS Dhoni Announced As Brand ambassador
Garena had initially announced the launch of Free Fire India on August 31st, appointing former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador.
Garena’s Senior Manager and Game Producer Vaibhav Das Mundada had previously informed Manikanta Control that Free Fire India would be a India-specific app with special features and content tailored to the local market. Dhoni would also appear as a playable character in the game as ‘Thala.’
In addition to partnering with Heirananadani Group’s company for local cloud hosting and storage infrastructure in India, Garena also partnered with cloud service provider Yotta to manage Indian users’ personal data on local servers and network connectivity services to support Garena’s product offering in India, including esports.
Garena Signed With UP GOVT to Boost Esport Industry
Furthermore, Garena had signed an agreement with the Uttar Pradesh government to boost the development of esports in India. This step comes after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) approved the relaunch of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), an India-exclusive app by Krafton, based on a three-month trial conducted by Crafton in May 2023.
On September 1st, Manikanta Control specifically reported that it is believed that BGMI has received full government approval to operate after a three-month audit, and it will now be subject to quarterly evaluations.
In 2021 Eastimate Spent On Free Fire;
According to app intelligence firm Sensor Tower, Free Fire was the highest-grossing app on Google Play and Apple’s app store in India in 2021, with an estimated spend of around $34.3 million on the app last year.
The return of Free Fire with BGMI in India is expected to boost the rapidly growing esports industry in the country, which was significantly affected by their suspension last year. Currently, there are over one million esports players in India, and with the relaunch of Free Fire, this number is expected to increase, as the game is well-suited for low-end Android devices, according to Manish Agrawal, the founder of community-based gaming studio Creto Studios, operating under the IndiGG brand.
Animesh Agrawal, founder of esports consulting and talent agency 8Bit Creations, also stated that the relaunch of the game would provide a significant boost to the creator community. “By providing creators with diverse and rich content, Free Fire India will empower them to grow and expand their fan base within the industry. As the game gains renewed attention and engagement, investment from brands will also increase, further enhancing the ecosystem,” he said.
