Free Fire and BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) fans from India witnessed major setbacks earlier this year. Both popular Battle Royale games have received a ban from the Indian government's MeitY due to data security concerns. Moreover, the esports ecosystems of both titles have also come to a halt.
Amidst all the bad news for both FF and Battlegrounds Mobile India fans, Yash Bhanushali, owner of Orangutan Esports, has come up with a massive claim for esports enthusiasts.
On Friday, November 4, one of the biggest stakeholders in the Indian esports scene dropped a hint about the Indian government's keenness towards gaming. The influencer didn't mention anything specific related to the development in the esports ecosystem but casually mentioned the names of popular BR titles from Garena and Krafton.
Keywords like "great news," "welcome back," "FF," and "BGMI" excited many esports aficionados, who mainly followed the tournaments of Free Fire and Battlegrounds Mobile India. One can also consider the tweet's claim regarding the Government of India's interest in esports as a big positive for the professional gaming scene in the country.
Bhanushali's statement holds much significance as Orangutan Esports is active in the circuits of Valorant, Free Fire, BGMI, and more.
Netizens share their thoughts in reply to Yash Bhanushali's tweet about BGMI and Free Fire
Twitter users pointed out the toxicity of the fanbase in both games as they replied to Bhanushali's tweet:
Some Twitter users also expressed their excitement while others questioned the genuinity of the claim:
"Indian esports is doomed" - Yash Bhanusali tweeted about the BGMI ban earlier
This is not the first time Yash Bhanushali has tweeted about the ban on the game, as he has shared his opinions multiple times on Twitter. In July 2022, after MeitY blocked Battlegrounds Mobile India, Bhanushali took to Twitter to share his concerns about the setbacks Indian esports has faced due to a ban on the games.
Here's what Yash Bhanushali tweeted on July 29, a day after Battlegrounds Mobile India's removal from the Play Store and App Store:
"Indian esports is doomed with BGMI most probably banned, free fire banned, valorant scene very close to dying with franchising coming in. I really worry about everything happening in the ecosystem 🥲"
To a point, Yash Bhanushali's opinions were relevant. However, Indian esports is still in its initial phase of growth and has much more potential to shine with the rise of several other games' competitive scenes.