Garena, the company behind the well-liked mobile game, is relaunching Free Fire in India. Marking a significant return to the South Asian market just a year and a half after its suspension. After being banned by the Indian government in February of last year over security concerns. Free Fire, one of the most popular battles royale games, is making a triumphant comeback.
Sea, the South Asian goliath that owns the company, has declared a collaboration with Yotta, the local giant led by Hiranandani, to cater to the country’s data storage needs, encompassing cloud storage. The company has appointed Indian cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador in the nation.
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Starting on September 5, Free Fire will become accessible in India as the developers have extensively localized the game for the market. They have incorporated “unique content” and established an atmosphere that “encourages a safe, healthy, and fun gameplay experience.” Players of Free Fire India will have an obligation to take breaks after playing for a specific duration of time.
Before its prohibition, Free Fire boasted more than 40 million active monthly users in India, relishing tremendous popularity. It stood as a formidable competitor to Krafton’s PUBG and BGMI, both of which garnered immense favor within the nation. In the previous year, Sea’s market valuation decreased by $16 billion as a result of India’s ban on Free Fire.
Garena’s action comes after Krafton successfully negotiated BGMI’s re-entry in India on a trial basis. Last year, Sea covertly attempted to introduce its e-commerce platform, Shopee, to India. However, the company abandoned the effort a few weeks after the Free Fire ban.
Industry insiders claim that Garena still has to adjust its strategy in the nation and should strive to emulate Krafton’s approach by investing in regional businesses.
AllianceAccording to Bernstein analysts, Sea nevertheless has to “present a more vocal identity for its India business, and for that, it needs to hire an established CEO.” In order to provide its Indian business with a distinctive personality, it is crucial to avoid local management and instead, actively cultivate a unique identity.
On Wednesday, Sea did not reply to demands for comment. Free Fire’s reappearance has not received any comments from India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT.