Battlegrounds Mobile India developer Krafton has shared an update on its plans for an esports ecosystem in India. In November, Krafton said it plans on making $100 million (approximately Rs. 746 crores) investments in India to improve the local video game, e-sports, and other industries. Today it confirmed that it has invested $22.5 million (approximately Rs. 167 crores) in NODWIN Gaming, and a further $9 million (approximately Rs. 67.13 crores) in Loco. The developer said it continues to look for promising firms that will help in building a healthy gaming environment.
After PUBG Mobile’s ban in India back in September, operations for the game in the country were taken over by South Korean developer Krafton. After several attempts to bring the game back, the developer announced in November that PUBG Mobile India will be launched in the country to cater specifically to Indian players.
At the time, it had also announced that it plans on making $100 million (approximately Rs. 746 crores) investments in India to “cultivate the local video game, e-sports, entertainment, and IT industries.” Now, Krafton has announced through a press release that it is working towards this goal and has already made a couple of investments to achieve its goal. When Battlegrounds Mobile India was announced early in May, Krafton had said the game will debut with its own esports ecosystem that will include tournaments and leagues. With its current investments, it seems to be working steadily towards its goal. Speaking of Battlegrounds Mobile India, the game officially launched today, July 2, for Android users in India. As of now, there is no information on an iOS release.
With the game back in India it appears that the company is continuing to invest in building up the ecosystem, but whether that will be enough to bring the game back to its former heights of popularity before the ban isn’t certain, as competition, both global and homegrown, sprang up in PUBG’s absence that lasted for around nine months.