Free Fire India unban: Renowned gaming personalities react to game's return in the country
Popular gaming title Free Fire is all set to make its grand return to the Indian market as Free Fire India. Earlier today, the developers of the title, Garena, released a trailer on the title's YouTube channel and other social media handles to announce that it will be back on September 5, 2023. The news has already created a huge buzz in the Indian gaming community as millions of gamers are waiting to enjoy the title yet again.
Stakeholders, TOs, and org owners are ecstatic about Free Fire India's comeback
Several popular gaming personalities reacted positively to the announcement of the game's return to the Indian mobile gaming market. They are hopeful of its impact on the growth of mobile esports in the country.
BGMI Youtuber and S8UL's co-founder, Animesh "8bit Thug" Agarwal, talked about how the game's return will lead to several tournaments getting organized.
"India has always been a pivotal pillar of Free Fire's global user base and its return opens the doors to exceptional avenues that will bolster the gaming landscape of the country. With the game’s re-launch, there will be a remarkable surge in the frequency of tournaments with lucrative prize pools for players to make a name for themselves."
Thug also stated how the title's return will also help streamers and content creators. According to him, Free Fire India will help them create more unique content and in turn, help them get more followers.
On the other hand, Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India, pointed out that ESFI supports the return of Free Fire India. He also stated that Free Fire India's return will amplify the competitive spirit of players and provide them with "opportunities on a global scale."
Suji expects that the game's return will result in a immense growth in playerbase. According to him, it will encourage players to take esports seriously.
Lokesh also highlighted the importance of Indian government's control over data security and privacy. Here's what he stated:
"While embracing this wave of progress, it is also crucial that the Indian government exercises vigilance over the aspect of security and data privacy. Safeguarding the interests of players and enthusiasts alike is a collective responsibility that ensures the sustainability and credibility of our Esports journey."
Devam "Dev" Vyas, Vice President at Gods Reign Esports, talked about how FFI's return in India will massively boost the viewership of tournaments. He pointed at how the Hindi stream of Free Fire World Series 2022 Grand Finals recorded peak viewership despite no Indian representation. He added:
"As Free Fire restarts in India, we're excited for viewership to break new records."
He also talked about how excited everyone is at Gods Reign to play tournaments. The side is currently looking to hire a lineup full of superstars who can go on to win multiple tournaments and give fans a reason to cheer.
Meanwhile, the Co-founder and CEO of Qlan, Sagar Nair, was ecstatic about MS Dhoni's tie-up with FFI. He mentioned:
"The introduction of Mahendra Singh Dhoni as 'Thala' adds a local touch, enhancing the relatability factor for Indian players."
He also pointed out how Garena strives to build a bigger esports ecosystem by introducing new tournaments with bigger prize pool, which will attract a larger audience.
Rohit Agarwal, the Founder of Aplha Zegus, compared the wait of Free Fire India's audience to the wait of BGMI players regarding the comeback of their favorite games. He mentioned how FFI players had to wait for their game way longer than BGMI players. Hence, the news is massive for them.
He also talked about how the pre-ban count for the playerbase was more than any other title in India. Rohit expected the loyal gamers to play the title once it makes its return, boosting its stats again.
Furthermore, he talked about how Free Fire India's comeback has added to the positive growth of esports in India. He is optimistic about more tournaments getting organized and more brands spending money.
Meanwhile, Ishan Verma, the Founder of Univ Sportatech & Chemin Esports, was all praises for Garena's hard work as he appreciated the company's efforts to sign the MOU with the UP government. He stated:
"Free Fire, along with Yotta Data centres, is a step that will become the most feasible formula for global publishers to find a Government-aligned way to work in India."
According to him, Darshan Hiranandani (Yotta datacentres) from the UP administration and Garena have taken an approach to strongly safeguard "Bharat’s data-sovereignty."
It remains to be seen how Free Fire India's comeback affects the esports ecosystem in India and if it can match the records created by Battlegrounds Mobile India since its return.