Game Responsibly With BGMI: Krafton Puts Safety First with Strict Regulations and Checks

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has been the talk of the town for a week now as Krafton announced the imminent return of the game to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The unban is a three-month trial during which the Indian government will actively monitor the game. During this period, the Indian government will closely monitor and assess concerns related to "user harm and addiction" before making a final decision regarding the game's permanent status.

What this entails is Krafton doubling down on its commitment to making BGMI a safe and responsible space for gaming. 

Notably, when BGMI was initially launched exclusively for Indian players in 2021, it came up with the tagline “Game Responsibly” to raise awareness about safe gaming.

According to the BGMI official website, Krafton notes, “When we launched Battlegrounds Mobile India, we truly believed that creating a culture of responsible gaming was our responsibility too.” As part of assuming this responsibility, Krafton already introduced many rules and regulations for BGMI.

Here are some of the things that Krafton does differently to ensure responsible and safe gaming.

Krafton’s Commitment to Safe Gaming

Here are some of the measures that Krafton has in place to ensure that the players and users of BGMI are aware of safe gaming.

Virtual World Warning Message: In BGMI, just before the game kicks off, players are made aware that they are entering a virtual world. The in-game audio reiterates that it is simply a game, a virtual world, and is not the players’ real lives.

One-Time Password (OTP) Authentication: Players below the age of 18 are required to register their parent or guardian before they play BGMI for the first time. Only when the OTP is sent and authenticated, the player below the age of 18 is allowed to play the game. 

Reminders: To make sure that players are aware of the time they spend on their devices while playing the game, BGMI issues timely breaktime reminders. It informs the players that they need to take a break from playing the game. “These reminders help them look up from their game and get back to real life, maintaining a healthy game-life balance,” said Krafton.

Gameplay Limitations: Players below 18 years of age are not allowed to play BGMI for more than three hours a day. 

Spending Limitations: Krafton has also set an in-game daily spend limit of INR 7000.

Moderated Game Graphics: To inculcate and promote healthy, safe, and responsible gaming, Krafton has sensitized the in-game graphics. As a result, it has reduced violence, nudity, and bloodshed and has set parameters that keep the language in check.

Notably, in March, a News18 report suggested that Krafton would be implementing more restrictions to play time and graphics ahead of its relaunch. The report added that the Indian Government’s decision to unblock the game was set in motion after the developer reportedly made certain changes to the game and told the government that it would comply with all rules.

The reported changes were: 

Playtime limit: According to the report, players will not be allowed to play the game 24x7 like before.

No blood: The report also suggested that Krafton informed officials that the game will not include blood as the developer will change its color. 

Other internal changes and server: In light of accusations about the potential for addiction and associated incidents of violence and self-harm among players, the government has reportedly asked the developer to “introduce relevant changes in the game, including the server.”

Complying with the server changes, Krafton has already updated the ‘International Data Transfers’ section on the official website where it clearly states the data of Indian players will be stored across India and Singapore.