Garena Free Fire esports employees in India rumored to be shifted to Nepal, sources report

It has been more than six months since the Free Fire ban, and players are still waiting for an unban date. However, recent reports suggest another shocking news for Indian fans: according to sources, the game's esports employees in India have been shifted to Nepal.

Understandably, the alleged relocation of employees is a significant development around Free Fire's future. Garena is yet to update users regarding the return of their beloved game, which the Government of India banned in February 2022 alongside 53 other applications (primarily Chinese).

Readers can learn more about the game's ban and the reported shifting of employees to Nepal in the following section.

---

Garena Free Fire: Esports employees shifting to Nepal from India can be a significant setback

Some recent reports have suggested the potential shifting of esports employees from India to Nepal. One can interpret these developments as Garena's increased focus on expanding the esports scene in the Nepalese server alongside the game's growth.

However, at the same time, one can also consider the move by Garena as a setback for the esports scene of Free Fire in India. Such developments have also hinted at an indefinite delay in the game's return to the Indian market.

Before the ban in India, Garena had various plans for its game's esports scene in the region. The social media activity of the game's Indian handles suggested the introduction of multiple esports tournaments.

However, after the Indian government imposed the ban, the esports scene of Garena's popular BR game was halted in the country. The FF team in India has also been inactive in organizing or announcing any esports tournaments.

With the alleged relocation of employees, many fans consider this to be the last straw for Free Fire's re-emergence in India, at least in 2022.

---

Why was FF banned in India?

The Indian government's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology banned the battle royale title alongside 53 other apps on 14 February 2022 for national security and privacy reasons.

The apps had allegations of collecting and sharing sensitive user data, most of which were associated with China. The GOI imposed the ban under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

Although Garena addressed the issue after the ban, its statement was not as convincing for many users. Here's what the Singaporean publishers said after the ban on Free Fire:

"We are aware that Free Fire is currently unavailable in the Google Play and iOS app stores in India and that the game is currently not operable for some users in the country. We are working to address this situation, and we apologize to our users for any inconvenience."

Interestingly, the game's MAX variant was left out by the Indian government from the list of banned apps. Moreover, MAX has received all of the OB updates since the original game was blocked in India.