“I don’t think anyone should run a business on hope.” - Global Esports’ CEO On BGMI’s return

Rushindra Sinha, founder and CEO of Global Esports, recently addressed various questions by his audience in a livestream. During this livestream, one of his viewers asked his views on Battlegrounds Mobile India’s (BGMI) returns and what changes fans should expect in the BGMI esports ecosystem when the game returns. Responding to this, Sinha stated that he had no idea about the game’s return. Following this, he also spoke about creators and organizations relying on a single game.

Global Esports’ CEO states there are high chances of BGMI not returning 

Responding to a question by one of his viewers, Sinha said, “Absolutely no idea. I literally have no clue. I don’t know if it’s going to come back.” As the viewer also asked him his views on the subject, Sinha stated he thinks the game has a very good chance that it won’t return, and still, everyone is positive about it. “Don’t hate me, because I want the game to come back, understand that. We have one of the best teams in the country, why would I not want the game to come back,” he added. Following this, he said, “I personally feel it is very tough for the game to come back. I hope it returns.”

Sinha talks about content creators, pro players and organizations relying on a single game 

Sinha shares his opinion on content creators, pro players and organizations relying on BGMI even during its unavailability. “I don’t think athletes, creators, and organizations should run a business model on hope. That is just bad business. But I really want the game to come back, but I don’t know. Until the game doesn’t come back, I won’t believe the game is back,” he said. Sinha implied that even if the game returns, businesses will take a long time to get back to normal. “Let the game return first, then tournaments will take place, it will attract viewership and audience, and people will be able to go back to business as usual,” he added. 

The government of India banned PUBG Mobile under Section 69A of the IT ACT 2000 in September 2020. With no hopes for the return of PUBG Mobile, Krafton introduced BGMI in the country to fill the void of PUBG Mobile in July 2021. However, the government of India went on to suspend BGMI under the same law one year after its launch. On the other hand, the government also banned Free Fire in February 2022. Talking about this, Sinha said, “I believe, as a smart business person, you should start exploring options and make sure that your business is never reliant on hope. Because, at first, PUBG Mobile was banned, now, BGMI is banned, and on the other hand, Free Fire is also banned.”

“If your business or career as an athlete, creator or organization is relying on these things; relying on external third parties to sustain, then it is not a good business model to begin with,” Sinha said. “Don’t stay dependent on a single company, game or person. Just be better than that,” he added.

It has been over four months since BGMI’s unavailability, yet there is no clear indication from Krafton regarding the game’s comeback. Although many influential figures have claimed that the game will surely return in early 2022, Krafton is yet to make any announcement about it. However, in a recent international audit, the South Korean ambassador to India stated that Krafton is trying to resolve BGMI’s suspension in India. Furthermore, in the latest press release, Krafton also said that it is trying to resume BGMI services in India.