Garena Free Fire launch U-turn! Know what’s happening to India rollout

Garena Free Fire launch in India was slated for today, September 5.

According to company officials, the Garena Free Fire launch date in India has been pushed back to ensure that the best possible experience is delivered to Indian fans. (Garena Free Fire)

The day for which Garena Free Fire enthusiasts were eagerly waiting is here, but the game launch is not likely to happen today! The Garena Free Fire launch date was meant to be today, but this most-anticipated game has been delayed and that too by a few weeks, leaving players disheartened.

Garena, the gaming division of Singapore's Sea Limited, has announced a delay in the launch of Free Fire India launch, pushing it back by a few weeks. The game was scheduled to launch in India today, September 5 after the ban on it was lifted. Notably, Free Fire was banned in India for over 1.5 years, due to security concerns. However, the premium version of this game also called Garena Free Fire Max continued to be available throughout the period.

Originally scheduled for release on September 5, Free Fire Inidia's comeback after a suspension of one and a half years due to national security concerns will have to wait some more.

Reason for the delay

As per the company officials, the game is delayed to ensure that the best possible experience is delivered to its Indian fans.

According to a report by MoneyControl, Garena is refining gameplay and working on localizing the Free Fire India experience. This announcement follows their earlier revelation on August 31, with former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni as their brand ambassador. Free Fire India will be exclusively tailored for the Indian market, featuring Dhoni as a playable character named 'Thala.'

To ensure data security, Garena has partnered with Yotta, a Hiranandani Group company and MeitY empanelled cloud service provider, for local cloud hosting and storage infrastructure. Yotta will manage Indian users' personal data on local servers and support Garena's product offerings in India, including esports.

Additionally, Garena has entered into an agreement with the Uttar Pradesh government to promote esports development in India. This move comes after rival Krafton secured government approval to resume Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) on a trial basis in May 2023.

The return of Free Fire and BGMI to India is expected to re-capture the country's booming esports industry, which suffered from its suspension last year. In 2021, Free Fire was the top-grossing app on Google Play and the App Store in India, generating approximately $34.3 million in-app spending, as reported by Sensor Tower.

While the Garena Free Fire India missing the launch date is disappointing, what the gamers can look forward to is the rollout of the best version of the game that they can enjoy without worries.