Krafton opens pre-registrations for Battlegrounds Mobile India

South Korean gaming firm Krafton has started pre-registrations for Battlegrounds Mobile India on the Google Play Store. The firm’s latest battle royale offering for this market follows in the wake of the ban of its popular game PUBG nearly a year ago.  

The free-to-play title, according to a statement from the company, will be supported on smartphones running Android 5.1.1 or higher with at least 2GB RAM. 

As of now, there is no word on its launch date or iOS availability. 

Krafton said that users pre-registering to play the title will be awarded with rewards such as new masks and outfits at launch. It also plans to announce in-game events and esports tournaments with partners closer to the release date. 

Notably, the game will be a tweaked India-specific avatar of PUBG Mobile, banned by the Indian government last September. 

The blanket ban, covering several Chinese apps, was imposed over data and national security reasons, which prompted Krafton to halt operations in India, revoke Chinese company Tencent’s India publishing rights for PUBG, and work to address other concerns raised by the government. 

“...Krafton will be working with partners, to ensure data protection and security, at each stage,” the company said on May 6. “This will ensure privacy rights are respected, and all data collection and storage will be in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in India and for players here.” 

The plan to launch the new India-exclusive title and restart operations was first announced in November last year. Back then, the company had said that the refreshed game would come with tweaks such as characters starting out fully clothed and playtime restrictions.  

Additionally, it had also announced a $100 million investment in the country to promote local esports and hire local talent for various roles, among other things.