Garena announces Free Fire India Championship (FFIC) 2023
On August 31, Garena surprised everyone by announcing the return of Free Fire to the Indian market. The title will be accessible in the country from September 5 via the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The developer also announced the Free Fire India Championship (FFIC) 2023, a prestigious competition. It is set to be hosted in September and October, and the winners will advance to the upcoming World Series Thailand.
The beloved battle royale game will be re-released as an exclusive title, named Free Fire India. The Singaporean developer has teamed up with Yotta, an Indian company, that will provide the local cloud hosting and storage infrastructure for the game. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, will be the brand ambassador of this India-exclusive game.
Free Fire India Championship 2023 to be open to all Indian players
The announcement of the Free Fire India Championship 2023 has added to fans' excitement as it will be the first game event after a year and a half. Many esports organizations are eagerly awaiting the title's return as their lineups have been practicing for a long time. Any players from India can take part in the FFIC 2023. The registration process and schedule will be disclosed in the coming days.
Before the ban of Free Fire on February 14, 2022, Garena had come up with a complete esports roadmap for the year. It was planned that four major tournaments, including two India Championships (Spring and Fall), would be organized for Indian players. But just before the start of the 2022 Spring edition, the Government of India blocked the title on App Store and Play Store. With the announcement of its re-release, teams will also aim to make a comeback to the official tournament.
Garena has also confirmed that the winners of the upcoming India Championship will be chosen for the Free Fire World Series (FFWS) 2023. This will be the international event in which the top squads from across the globe will take on each other for the coveted title and a humongous prize pool. It is slated to be conducted from November 10-26, 2023.
Initially, a total of 18 slots were allocated for the Free Fire World Series 2023. The developer had already announced the slot distribution for 16 teams, while two were vacant. It will be interesting to see what changes Garena will make to the FFWS after this FFIC announcement.