NEW DELHI: The second season of Esports Premier League (ESPL), the country’s first-ever franchise-based esports league carrying a prize pool of Rs 1 crore, has been put on hold just ahead of the LAN finale, which was set to be fought between the top 16 teams still in the fray from 1st to 5th August.
Reason: The sudden decision by the government to have the Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) gaming application removed from Google Play Store and Apple App Store as of 28th July.
An official statement issued by the organisers India Today Gaming reads: “We are constrained to put the ESPL Season 2, on hold, in light of the government’s directions and the prevailing circumstances. This is an unfortunate situation for all esports enthusiasts, and also a huge setback for India Today Gaming, at this stage of the tournament. However, upon closure of the matter favourably, we intend to renew the ESPL from the stage where we are leaving it now, which means that the selected finalist teams will be invited again to take the tournament forward for the Finals.
“We would like to thank all the ESPL Season 2 participants, and the gaming community spread across the country, for supporting the tournament and India Today Gaming. We look forward to welcoming you.”
Meanwhile, Krafton, the South Korean developer of superhit mobile games PUBG and BGMI, has broken its silence on the BGMI ban in India. The company said it is trying to resolve the issues with the concerned authorities.
Hyunil Sohn, CEO of Krafton India, stated: “We kindly request you to wait to hear from us. We will keep you informed about further updates. We look forward to strengthing our partnerships and collectively fostering the gaming ecosystem in India.”
The company said the security and privacy of user data are paramount for it. It added that it has always complied with Indian laws.
“We are committed to the Indian market and are positive about the opportunities in the country. At Krafton Inc, the security and privacy of our user data are of utmost importance to us. We have always been compliant with all laws and regulations in India including data protection laws and regulations and will continue abiding by them,” Hyunil added.
“There may be questions in your minds regarding the current situation about the country’s most loved game – BGMI. In line with this, we have been working hard to communicate our sincerity with the concerned authorities and resolve the issues,” the company said.
The Central government banned PUBG in September 2020 under Section 69 A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, over privacy breach concerns. There were reports that the game was sending user data to Tencent’s servers.
BGMI, which was launched in 2021 as an India-only replacement for PUBG Mobile, recently achieved the milestone of 100 million users in India.
Krafton has said it was clarifying with the government why the game was removed from the app stores.
Fans in the meantime are upset with the move, and there is much speculation around the ban’s adverse effect on India’s booming esports industry.
