BGMI Ban 2025: Is BGMI Banned in India Again? Here's What We Know

Krafton, the famous company behind gaming masterpieces like PUBG and BGMI, has found itself in a deep puddle of data breach allegations. As the pros of the gamers are on the verge of the biggest LAN event in 2025 in Kolkata, the news has rattled the community.

Santosh Torane, an individual living in Maharashtra, has filed a police complaint. In it, Santosh has accused the company of leaking and selling personal data on Telegram.

According to the FIR, the gaming company sold the data of every individual player in the game for 2,000 rupees without the consent of the individual or any prior notification.

However, it is not the first time that the game has dealt with such allegations. The game was previously launched as PUBG back in India and had been at the top of the list of games played in India for a couple of years. However, back in 2022, the game was banned by the government following a momentary restriction that came in during COVID.

The recent news circulating about the ban on the game has kept the gaming community in India on its toes. As the story unfolds, we are slowly inching toward the verdict.

Why is BGMI Banned in India Again?

A Maharashtra citizen named Santosh Torane had filed an FIR against Krafton India along with four of its executives for violating the service agreement and revealing the individual's private information to external parties on Telegram. It is stated that the data was sold for 2,000 rupees for every person.

Moreover, the charges in FIR No. 474/2024 include cheating (IPC 420) and criminal conspiracy (IPC 120-B) along with violations under Sections 72, 72A, and 85 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, as cited in a TOI report.

The central reason behind BGMI being under scrutiny is the data privacy violations. This is something that sounds very similar to many of us. The accusations thrown this time eerily mirror the concerns that were raised during the ban on the original game (known as PUBG Mobile).

Both PUBG and PUBG Lite saw a permanent ban in India following the concerns raised back during COVID-19.

The Data Breach Allegations

While the BGIS 2025 is just around the corner, the news surfacing regarding the BGMI ban has halted the advertisements and hype of the LAN tournament.

The charges in FIR No. 474/2024 include cheating (IPC 420) and criminal conspiracy (IPC 120-B), along with violations under Sections 72, 72A, and 85 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, as cited in a TOI report.

Who Filed the Complaint?

The alleged wrongdoings were brought to light by Santosh Torane, who is a Maharashtra citizen. Following the evidence submission by Santosh Torane, Judicial Magistrate First Class directed Akulj Police to investigate the case back on August 28, 2024.

Krafton India has already filed two writ petitions in the Bombay High Court, requesting them to stop the investigation. The truth behind these data breach allegations will be revealed soon.

Is BGMI Banned in India Right Now?

While the truth behind these allegations is yet to come out to the public, the game is under scrutiny as we speak right now. The complaint made by Santosh Torane names WooYol Lim, Jitendra Bansal, Wooyol Shalom, and Yoonal Soni, who are all Krafton employees.

In terms of the game's position, BGMI is still available in the Google Play Store. So far, it seems that until the verdict comes and it points towards a possible ban of the game, the game will remain in the Play Store.

Government Statements

Back when PUBG was banned in India along with other apps, MeitY stated that the banned apps were a threat to the sovereignty, integrity, and defense of India, as well as public order. There were complaints that the apps, including PUBG, were transmitting user data to servers that are located outside of India.

As of right now, MeitY has not given any official statement regarding the FIR, given the verdict is yet to come out.

What Krafton Has Said So Far

As we mentioned earlier, as per the FIR, Krafton allegedly sold data at only 2,000 INR per person without informing the users or obtaining permission.

Addressing the allegations, Krafton has denied all the accusations and said it places high importance on every player's data protection. The company has decided to wait for the legal process to unfold before making further statements.

PUBG and BGMI Ban History in India

These allegations and the anxiety are not something new for the gamers, as they have gone through this three times in 5 years. The data leak accusations have brought back fears that BGMI may be banned, similar to what happened to PUBG Mobile in 2020. On September 2, 2020, the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile in addition to 117 other applications that were linked to China.

It came after an earlier ban that included 47 applications in the Play Store, most of which were clones of 59 applications banned in June of that same year.

Back at that time, Meity stated that the banned apps were a threat to the sovereignty, integrity, and defense of India, as well as public order. There were complaints that the apps, including PUBG, were transmitting user data to servers that are located outside of India.

PUBG Mobile's partnership with Tencent gained a lot of popularity, especially in India. Following the ban, Krafton launched BGMI, which was a specialized version just for India after PUBG Mobile was banned permanently. While the game has seen a few hurdles on the road after its relaunch as BGMI, the recent FIR has struck terror in the Indian gaming community.

Is BGMI Ban India Permanent This Time?

As of right now, Krafton has launched its statement addressing the allegations. On the other hand, the investigation is taking its full course as we speak. Until the official verdict is there, nothing can be said for sure.

The data leak accusations have revived fears that the game might be banned, similar to what happened to PUBG Mobile back in 2020.

Possible Outcomes for Players

If the game ban comes in full order, all the in-game services and purchases may be suspended. Moreover, the players may lose access to their accounts if the game is pulled for good. As of right now, there is no news on whether Krafton will compensate the gamers for unredeemed purchases.

How Does the BGMI Ban Impact the Indian Gaming Community?

As of right now, the ban has sent shockwaves throughout the community. Content creators and eSports players are all waiting for the verdict.

We already have BGIS 2025 finals awaiting in the form of the biggest LAN event this year. Content creators and eSports athletes like Scout, Mortal, and Jonathan have already voiced their concerns and are awaiting a fair resolution.