Cover-Credits:
Sid
The prolonged ban on India’s most popular esports title - Battlegrounds Mobile India has forced every esports business to hit rock bottom. From scrapping for unban dates, questions about Indian esports without BGMI has now joined the fray. On a recent livestream. S8UL Esports’ manager, Sid Joshi spoke about the immediate future of Indian esports if Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) did not make a return to the Google Play store or the Apple App Store. Joshi also expressed his frustration over the current state of Indian esports in his recent livestream.
The stalemate caused by the uncertainty of BGMI’s unban
Joshi was questioned about the potential impact on India's gaming industry if BGMI fails to release during his recent livestream. In response, he expressed concern. “If BGMI doesn’t launch in India, I do believe it is going to be a scary time for the esports community for the next 5 years,” he said.
Joshi expressed his frustration with the current state of uncertainty in the gaming industry, where everyone is unsure whether to switch to and invest in other titles. “I have come to this point where I just want a confirmation of if the game is coming back or not coming at all,” he added.
In an effort to survive in this uncertain environment, many prominent organizations have shifted their focus to other titles such as Pokemon Unite and New State India. However, these titles have yet to generate the same level of engagement as BGMI, which has been a crucial factor in keeping these organizations afloat during these tumultuous times. . For instance, the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series 2021, which was hosted last year, drove a peak audience of 460,034 whereas the nearest rival - Valorant, could rack up merely a 1/10th of a fraction.
Sid expressed that a lot of players are barely holding on, hoping for BGMI’s return. If the bubble bursts with an official statement, people will gradually begin to make the switch and look for opportunities elsewhere.
Note: The related segment starts from 45:06 onwards.
The mobile gaming industry is facing challenges in establishing a solid foothold in South Asia, not just in India. The industry has encountered multiple bans, and audiences have limited themselves to traditional titles. This may have been a contributing factor in the discontinuation of Apex Legends Mobile, as it failed to capture the largest battle royale market. Both Warzone Mobile and Valorant Mobile have postponed their releases until the end of this year, so there is no immediate alternative in sight.
