PUBG Back to India? Know recent updates

PUBG: The Indian version of PUBG Mobile published by Krafton, is Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI). The game was removed from the Google Play and App Store in India on July 28, 2022. Krafton announced the game was getting relaunched for a trial period on May 19, 2023.

Krafton is working on getting a PUBG Mobile release date for India. During the ongoing Indian Gaming Show and Conference 2025, Krafton’s corporate development head Sean Hunil Sohn finally commented on the possibility of PUBG Mobile returning to India. This came during an industry-spanning chat with Nodwin CEO Akshat Rathi.

“I can’t really say a time or anything because we don’t know yet,” Sohn says, responding to Rathi when asked if PUBG Mobile will return to India. “We care a lot about the Indian market. We’re working hard to make that happen.”

In addition, Sohn admitted that Krafton doesn’t have a specific release date or timeframe to share. His response suggests that the company is indeed ready to follow the Indian government’s guidelines to bring PUBG Mobile back, as IGN India previously reported.

BGMI was first released for Android devices on July 2, 2021, and for iOS devices on August 18, 2021. The game was removed from the Google Play and App Store in India on July 28, 2022. Krafton announced the game was getting relaunched for a trial period on May 19, 2023.

It became available for download again on May 27, 2023 (Android) and May 29, 2023 (iOS), and was playable starting May 29, 2023. BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) is the specific version of the game developed and published by Krafton (the South Korean parent company of PUBG) for the Indian market. It replaced the original PUBG Mobile.

The game was re-launched and made playable in May 2023 after being briefly suspended by the government. It is available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

The focus of Krafton in India is now on running the game and expanding its ecosystem. Recent updates include:

Version Updates: BGMI regularly receives large, themed version updates. For example, a recent update was the BGMI 4.1 update (Frosty Funland Mode), which introduced a winter theme, new map elements, and unique items like the Penguin Snowmobile.

Krafton is heavily investing in the Indian esports scene. They recently hosted major tournaments like the Battlegrounds Mobile International Cup (BMIC) 2025 in New Delhi, featuring a substantial prize pool and international teams.

In short: The original PUBG Mobile is not expected to return, but its official, India-exclusive successor, BGMI, is live, actively updated, and hosting major esports events.

Also Read: Dream11 Ban: How to withdraw your money from Dream11 wallet