Will the iOS version of Battlegrounds Mobile India see more traction than Android?

Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), the immensely popular online multiplayer battle royale game developed and published by Krafton, finally launched on iOS on August 18, 2021. The iOS launch comes after almost one and a half months of its Android launch on July 2, 2021. While making this big announcement, Krafton also informed that some iOS users might not be able to log on to Battlegrounds Mobile India right away using their Apple ID, as the authentication system of the iOS version will be under maintenance.

Battlegrounds Mobile India can be considered as one of the largest mobile game launches in history, with over 50 million downloads within a month on Android’s Play Store. To celebrate this milestone, Krafton had given out numerous rewards to the players, including the Galaxy Messenger Set, which is the third set of rewards waiting for fans playing on iOS as well and is also planning to extend exclusive gifts like Supply and Classic Crate Coupons, along with the Constable Set that can be redeemed separately from the Event Center.

Created exclusively for Indian gamers after the Indian Government ban on PUBG, Battlegrounds Mobile India game consists of three modes – Solo, Duo and Squad Battle Royale. The Battle Royale game mode comprises several teams playing on a single map. The key objective of the game is to search for better loot and survive by being the only team alive in the match.

Commenting on the launch of the most awaited BGMI’s iOS version, Tarun Gupta, Founder, Ultimate Battle, said, “This is yet another feather to Battlegrounds Mobile India’s cap. The move will lead to a substantial increase in the user base and we can envision that the gaming community will thrive. We will also be looking into adding BGMI to our flagship tournament – All India Esports League (AIEL), which will be launched very soon. At Ultimate Battle, BGMI was introduced on our esports platform a month back just after its launch. We witnessed great player participation with a noticeable spike in engagement rate around this battle royale game.”

Gupta further said, “As the game has already crossed the 50-million downloads mark, this launch will further fuel the esports ecosystem in India. More players in BGMI mean more exciting actions in the esports arena.”

The game has excited not only the gamers, but esports gaming companies as well, who are further planning to launch their esports leagues on BGMI as per their flagship.

Speaking about the big changes taking place in BGMI, Abhishek Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, Trinity Gaming, noted, “The esports fraternity was waiting for BGMI to be available on iOS. The roaring success of the multiplayer battle royale game with close to 50 million downloads showcases the positive response the exclusive game receives in India. Now that it is available to iOS users too, the esports segment expects to witness more esports enthusiasts joining the growing industry and more gaming content creators coming along the way. Trinity has been leading and supporting the young and dynamic talents growing in the space of esports, and we can foresee some big changes happening in the participation coming along with the BGMI iOS version.”

Sharing the experience of playing PUBG on the iOS system, Rohit Agarwal, Founder & Director, Alpha Zegus, said, “Back when we had PUBG M, I used to see a large majority of streamers play on an iOS device as compared to Android devices. The reasons included better experience, more stable gameplay, among others. Now that BGMI is finally available on iOS after a long wait, I am expecting quite some mainstream creators to switch over, and also the primary iOS users to finally be able to play the game.”

Along with this launch, BGMI has set one more spike, as India’s leading game streaming and eSports platform Rooter is all set to host one of the country’s biggest  Battleground Mobile India tournaments – Rooter Pro Scrims from August 21 to 27, 2021. Forty top Indian teams are facing face off in the 7-day tournament, which is taking place in dual phases.

In a press release, speaking about this much-awaited tournament, Piyush Kumar, Founder and CEO, Rooter Sports Technologies, said, “Krafton has been a pioneer in the First Person Shooter Gaming category coming up with PUBG in India and creating the FPS category. The game created the first engaging Battle Royale game in India. BGMI since its launch in June has garnered more than 50 million downloads. We, at Rooter, are incredibly excited to bring this tournament to our users. We are the leaders in the Game Streaming category in India and we want to continue bringing many more such exciting opportunities for gamers in partnership with Krafton. We are also excited to have all 40 Top teams of India participating here. And we also welcome Wings as our partner as they continue their amazing growth within the gaming community.”

(Edited and additional inp;uts by Shanta Saikia.)