On Aug. 31, 2023, Free Fire players from India were treated to some really exciting news. The loved game, banned in 2022 for alleged data privacy concerns, was coming back as Free Fire India. What was even more exciting is that the game would be released on Sept. 5, 2023. However, today marks one year of that announcement and the game is nowhere to be seen.
It still hasn’t been revealed what the issue has been regarding the game’s significant delay. Last year, it seemed like the game was all set to launch, as it also announced a marketing campaign with prominent Indian sporting stars such as football player Sunil Chettri and badminton star Saina Nehwal. Additionally, it had announced that MS Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, would be the brand ambassador.
Image Credits: Garena
It all came crashing down about a day before the official launch, as Garena said that it needed a “few more weeks” to release the game. Since then, there has been no official confirmation for the release of Free Fire India – leaving its dedicated fanbase really disappointed with the question, ‘Is the game ever coming?’
Can Free Fire India still make a return?
While Garena hasn’t announced anything, a report by the Economic Times revealed that the company is localizing its India operations before launching the game. This move came after an apparent “government nudge.”
As per the report, the game server is being set up in Navi Mumbai. A Garena spokesperson has said that the game will include a completely localized infrastructure for Indian audiences.
Therefore, it seems like the initial launch was delayed because of government interference due to the apparent game servers being outside India. As a result, new servers are being set up.
It’s to be noted that although Free Fire was banned in 2022, the MAX version, which utilizes the same game servers, is still available in India.
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