Soon after the Government of India banned PUBG Mobile in the country last year, Krafton Inc., the company behind the game, cut ties with Tencent and started teasing a return to the Indian gaming scene. Over the past six months, we have seen numerous teasers, rumors, and reports about a PUBG Mobile India relaunch. And now it’s finally happening, albeit under a new name — Battlegrounds Mobile India. So here are all the details, pre-registration links, features, device compatibility, and more that you need to know about Battlegrounds Mobile India (PUBG Mobile India).
Battlegrounds Mobile India: Everything You Need to Know
We already know that PUBG Mobile will relaunch in the country with the new Battlegrounds Mobile India moniker. And Krafton is surprisingly strict about not calling it PUBG Mobile India (possibly, to avoid another ban??). Obviously, as of this writing, we do not have a lot of details about the game, but based on social media posts, the famous foliage-laden Sanhok map will likely be available in the game. Besides, hopefully, most things with the game will remain similar to the global version of PUBG Mobile. We will continuously update this article as more details come out, so check back to get more details about your favorite battle royale game. You can expand the table below and jump to the topics of your choice with ease.
Battlegrounds Mobile India: Supported Devices
The original PUBG Mobile title was compatible with a host of smartphones, and the company even launched PUBG Mobile Lite for budget smartphones. However, we only have confirmation of Battlegrounds Mobile India’s launch on Android smartphones right now. There is no word on its compatibility with low-end or budget phones. But chances are you will be able to install the game on low-end devices as well, although your experience playing it may not be very pleasant. That said, we can hope for a “Battlegrounds Mobile India Lite” version in the future, even though Krafton has not indicated any such plans so far. As far as iPhone users are concerned, you will have to wait a while before it becomes available on the iOS App Store. We are almost certain that there will be no pre-registration for iPhone users, but hopefully, the game will be available on the App Store either at launch or soon after.
Battlegrounds Mobile India: System Requirements
While Krafton hasn’t officially announced the minimum system requirements for playing Battlegrounds Mobile India, we can make an educated guess based on system requirements for PUBG Mobile. Here’s what you will likely need to run this new game on your smartphones. Android:
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop or higher 2GB RAM minimum 16GB storage space
iOS:
iOS 9.0 or above
Those system requirements mean that pretty much anyone should be able to at least run the game on their smartphones. Obviously, for smooth performance, you should have more RAM and a better processor. We will update this section with the latest information once the game goes live.
Battlegrounds Mobile India: Pre-Registration Date and Download Links
Battlegrounds Mobile India is now available to pre-register on the Google Play Store, as of May 18. As mentioned earlier, there is no pre-registration on the roadmap for iOS devices. So if you are an iPhone user, you have no other option but to wait. Or, if you have access to an Android phone, make sure you pre-register there. Follow the steps below to pre-register:
How to Pre-Register for Battlegrounds Mobile India?
- Head over to the attached pre-registration link: Google Play Store
- Tap on the “Pre-register” button. Then, make sure to select the “Install when available” so that the game is automatically downloaded on your phone on launch day. That’s it.
Pre-registration also brings with it a special treat for fans of the game. Basically, anyone who pre-registers for the game will be getting rewards for their interest and excitement about the game. You will receive “4 amazing pre-registration rewards, the Recon Mask, the Recon Outfit, Celebration Expert Title, and 300 AG,” as per the Play Store listing. You don’t have to do anything other than pre-register for the game to get your rewards. The rewards will automatically be available to claim when the game goes live and you start playing it.
Battlegrounds Mobile India Release Date
Now, it’s time to talk about the release date. If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re just as invested in the second-coming of PUBG Mobile India as I am. This means you’ve been scouring the internet for any hints about the game’s launch date. Well, unfortunately, Krafton is yet to announce any official dates for the game’s actual launch. You can only pre-register for the game at the moment. That said, we expect the game to launch soon.
[UPDATE | 2 July, 11:02 am] – Krafton has finally officially launched Battlegrounds Mobile India for Android phones. The company made the announcement on its Instagram page, and people who have been playing the beta version can now directly update to the stable build for BGMI from the Play Store. Unfortunately, Krafton is yet to make any announcements regarding an iOS release date for Battlegrounds Mobile India, but we will keep you posted. [UPDATE | 1 July, 10:18 am] – Now that the BGMI beta has been live for a couple of weeks on Android, people are wondering when the game’s stable version will be released, and when will Battlegrounds Mobile India come to iPhones. Well, popular gaming streamer and esports athlete Kronten has reportedly hinted in his live stream that the game can launch as soon as the coming week. On his stream, Kronten said “The game is likely to come within a week. The last time I spoke with them (Officials), they seemed to have sorted out all the issues. Now, they just need to come up with a proper release date & time that’s best for everyone. Afterall, you cannot continue with a beta version for so long.” [UPDATE | 27th May, 7:15 PM] – Several former professional PUBG Mobile players from India, including MortaL, TSM Entity Ghatak, and others, have taken to social media to tease the release date of Battlegrounds Mobile India. While Abhijeet Andhare (aka Ghatak) hints that the game will launch in the third week of June in India, Naman Mathur, aka MortaL, shared a series of numbers for fans to decipher. Maxtern also chimed in with a possiblelaunch date – June 12 in reply to Mortal (although we now know that it was incorrect). You can check out the tweets attached below:
— Abhijeet Andhare (@GHATAK_official) May 25, 2021
— MortaL (@Mortal04907880) May 26, 2021 Currently, there is no official word from developer Krafton on the release date of Battlegrounds Mobile India. So, we suggest you take the leaks and rumors with a grain of salt and wait for an official announcement.
How to Download Battlegrounds Mobile India
[Update on June 17: Battlegrounds Mobile India Beta is Live]
So, awesome news for everyone waiting for PUBG Mobile’s relaunch; the game’s beta version is live on the Play Store, and it’s ready to be downloaded and played! If you’re interested, and let’s face it, you obviously are, here is how to download and install Battlegrounds Mobile India right now. The game is already available for pre-registration, as mentioned in the previous section. Once the game is live, you will be able to download Battlegrounds Mobile India from the Play Store and the iOS App Store. Moreover, it’s likely that the official website will have direct download links for the APK file of the game as well. Also, many of you must be wondering – what is the download size of Battlegrounds Mobile India (or PUBG Mobile India) on Android? How many GB of data will you need to download the game? Well, the game’s download size is around 700MB. That means the game’s download size is pretty small and easily downloadable on 1GB per day data limits for eager PUBG fans in India. It only includes the core components, and you will need to download HD texture packs, maps, and other in-game items.
Battlegrounds Mobile India vs PUBG Mobile: What’s Different?
As a fan of PUBG Mobile, I am interested in seeing what changes Krafton brings along to make sure it doesn’t get banned in India once again. Well, now that we have the beta version of Battlegrounds Mobile India, all our questions have been answered.
Player information and data will now be stored within India and not on Chinese servers. Within the game, when you shoot at someone, there’s now a green effect instead of a blood-like red effect that was there in PUBG Mobile. Enemies seem to disintegrate when killed.
The game no longer terms defeating enemies as ‘killing’ them. Instead, the game uses words like ‘Finished’ and ‘Defeated’. Players under 18 years of age will no longer be able to play for longer than 3 hours a day. However, the game simply has a prompt to ask players if they are 18 years or older, which doesn’t seem to be something that will stop under-18 players from simply lying to the game.
Moreover, underage players will be limited to spending Rs. 7,000 per day in-game. That still feels like a pretty chunky number to me, but considering how much kids have spent on PUBG Mobile in the past, it’s good that there’s at least a spending limit now. Underaged players will also need to submit a parent/guardian’s phone number for verification.
[Update on June 16] New OTP Login
According to changes in the official support pages for Battlegrounds Mobile India, it seems the game will require players to use their phone numbers to receive an OTP in order to log in to the game. This could be Krafton’s way to ensure that only actual users create accounts, and maybe even to track the amount of time the game is being played. This could also be for players under 18 who will require a phone number for verification. Also, for anyone interested in competitive PUBG Mobile, Battlegrounds Mobile India will have its own eSports ecosystem. Krafton will be partnering with local gaming entities to build it out, so here’s hoping to see Indian players back in the competitive eSports scene with Battlegrounds Mobile India.
Battlegrounds Mobile India: Game Modes, Maps, Weapons
With the Battlegrounds Mobile India beta being available now, we have a complete idea of what the game is like and all the game modes, maps and weapons it offers.
Game Modes
If you’re wondering whether you’ll be able to not only play battle royale, but also fly choppers in Payload and squad up in Team Deathmatch and Domination, etc, well you can. We have played a lot of Battlegrounds since yesterday, and the game has all the same game modes as PUBG Mobile. Here are all the available game modes in Battlegrounds Mobile India.
Classic (Battle Royale) Arcade Quick Match Sniper Training War Mode Evoground Payload 2.0 Arena Team Deathmatch Domination Gun Game Assault
Maps
While we were pretty certain that at least Sanhok and Erangel will be available in Battlegrounds Mobile India, the game actually brings all the maps from PUBG Mobile! Here are all the maps that are available in Battlegrounds Mobile India.
Erangel Sanhok Miramar Karakin Livik
Account Sync
[Update on June 17]
We have the beta version of Battlegrounds Mobile India installed, and we can confirm that the new game allows account transfer from the old PUBG Mobile to the new Battlegrounds Mobile India. That means all your UC, unlocked outfits, skins, and more will transfer over to Battlegrounds Mobile India when you log in to the game. That’s great news for all BGMI lovers because we won’t need to start from the beginning! Here is how to transfer your account data from PUBG Mobile to Battlegrounds Mobile India.
[Update on June 16] The new OTP login method detailed in the Krafton support pages could hint that the game will not support social media logins in India. That could mean that players will not be able to sync their account progress from PUBG Mobile to Battlegrounds Mobile India. As of right now, it’s unclear whether OTP verification is going to be the only way for players to login on Battlegrounds Mobile India, but it does seem that way. Krafton is yet to release a statement regarding account syncing between PUBG Mobile and Battlegrounds Mobile India. We now have confirmation that you can log in with your Play Games account, as well as social media accounts including Facebook and Twitter.
[Updated] Will Battlegrounds Mobile India Be Banned?
[Update on 23 June] Over the last couple of days, there have been reports about Battlegrounds Mobile India sending user-data to servers in China. Krafton has now responded to these reports with a statement that says “Battlegrounds Mobile India’s privacy policy fully discloses that the app may transfer some user data, with users’ consent to the privacy policy and choosing to migrate their accounts. No data has been shared in violation of the privacy policy.” You can read the complete statement here. [Update on 22 June] After yesterday’s news and reports regarding Battlegrounds Mobile India communicating with Chinese servers, Krafton has reportedly sent out an update to fix the issue. According to reports, the company has updated the game and it is no longer pinging servers of China Mobile Communications. We haven’t independently verified the report, but the PUBG Mobile India variant did receive an update yesterday evening, which is probably when the issue was fixed. It’s noteworthy that the game still pings servers for Proxima Beta Pte. Limited, but that’s understandable since the game allows transfer of PUBG Mobile account data to Battlegrounds Mobile India, and explicitly states that this transfer will cause the user’s data from Proxima Beta Pte. Ltd, to be transferred to BGMI. [Update on 21 June] More and more government officials are now calling for Battlegrounds Mobile India to be banned, even before the game sees its official release. In a new development, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has written a letter to the Union IT & Communications Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, calling for a ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India citing that the game is “not only a threat to national sovereignty and security of India but also harmful for young generations.” Compounding the issues for Krafton is a new report from IGN India that claims to have found Battlegrounds Mobile India sending data to servers in China; servers that are reportedly run by Tencent. It’s reportedly also sending user device-data to Tencent-run Proxima Beta in Hong Kong. This is in stark contrast to Krafton’s claims that it is not going to send user data from India to China, and will store all Battlegrounds Mobile India data in servers based within the country. Earlier, Ninong Ering, an MLA from Arunachal Pradesh, demanded a ban on Battlegrounds Mobile India. He had written to India’s PM Narendra Modi to re-ban the game ahead of its official launch due to grave security concerns. In an official letter, Ering calls out Krafton and says that Battlegrounds Mobile India is an “illusion and a trick” to relaunch the same game with minor modifications. Tencent still holds over 15% stake in Krafton, all PUBG Mobile employees in India were miraculously hired by Krafton, and even Nodwin (who will host the game on its server) has ties with Tencent, says the letter.
Moreover, if you haven’t noticed already, the official Google Play Store listing for Battlegrounds Mobile India includes the PUBG Mobile moniker in the package name. Ering also points this out and says that the game’s relaunch poses a great security threat for India. This will allow Krafton to collect sensitive data of Indian citizens, including children, and pass it to the Chinese government. Well, we cannot say for sure whether Battlegrounds Mobile India will be banned in India or not. So let’s wait for an official word from the government on this front.
[Update on 16 June]
While some people are calling for Battlegrounds Mobile India to be banned, the IT Ministry has replied to an RTI asking about BGMI saying that “Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has no role in granting any permission for entry of PUBG or any company/Mobile app in India.” That said, the ministry added that while it can’t ban an app before launch, it can invoke Section 69A of the IT Act to ban any app in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India.
— Dr Gaurav Tyagi (@drtyagigaurav) June 13, 2021 So while Battlegrounds Mobile India can definitely launch without any issues, it’s likely going to be on MeitY’s radar for quite some time. Let’s hope they don’t end up banning Battlegrounds Mobile India as well.
[Update] Battlegrounds Mobile India Weapons
If you’re wondering whether you’ll be able to use the M416, or hunt for the AWM in Airdrops (or even the MK14), well, you will! The Battlegrounds Mobile India beta has all the same weapons that are available in PUBG Mobile. That means you’ll be able to nade out your opponents, create smoke tunnels, snipe people with the AWM, and take CQBs with your favourite SMG (Tommy Gun, anyone?). For a complete, detailed list of weapons in Battlegrounds Mobile India, you can check out the linked article.
Battlegrounds Mobile India: Ready to Get Winner Winner Chicken Dinner in PUBG?
Say what you will about the much delayed and seemingly over-hyped at times, relaunch campaign of PUBG Mobile, it does seem to be coming at the perfect time now that we are in yet another lockdown. I mean, what else is there to do at home, other than playing new games and rewatching your comfort Netflix TV series like Brooklyn 99, FRIENDS, and Schitt’s Creek? Not much. So when Battlegrounds Mobile India does come out (hopefully sooner rather than later), it will garner attention from a wide audience that has been clamoring to get its hands on the battle royale title once again. Get ready to drop in, folks, it’s time to land Pochinki.
