Garena Free Fire - The game that got banned in India
Recently, the news that Garena Free Fire was banned in India broke out, and this mobile shooting game made headlines around the world. While you may have never heard of this game, it’s hugely popular in Asian countries and has even been downloaded by 1 million people from Google Play Store and Apple App Store in the past week alone. In fact, it was so popular that the Indian government decided to ban it from being played on smartphones because it’s considered too violent and addictive – especially among kids under 18 years old. Read on to find out everything you need to know about Garena Free Fire!
About 'Garena Free Fire'
Garena Free Fire is a mobile battle royale game developed by 111dots Studio and published by Garena. The game was released for Android and iOS devices on December 4, 2017. On September 2, 2020, the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile and 118 other Chinese apps in India. Garena Free Fire is one of the most popular battle royale games with over 500 million downloads. It features many different weapons to choose from and it’s free to play. It is based on Unreal Engine 4 which makes it look very realistic. There are also tutorials to teach you how to play the game as well as personal stats for you to track your progress against other players. Garena Free Fire has its own story mode which has you surviving a virus outbreak. If you like playing alone, there's co-op mode where up to 3 friends can join forces and go into the zombie infested town together. Compared to PUBG Mobile, there are more weapon options available such as assault rifles, pistols and even bows and arrows. You can customize your character by choosing hairstyles or changing clothes but there aren't any customization options for guns or armor so far. In terms of graphics, this game is not as good as Fortnite or PUBG Mobile because of the way it looks pixelated when zoomed out. But this doesn't take away from the gameplay because what matters is that you have fun while shooting people. That being said, there are some issues with lag which might be due to less stable servers compared to PUBG Mobile and Fortnite (even though Garena Free Fire has 100 times less lag than any other battle royale game). One thing we would recommend for this game is to get rid of the ads at launch because they're distracting when all you want to do is just jump into the map. As long as you have an internet connection, this game works great. However, if your internet connection goes down then the game will freeze and crash until it finds a new connection. You may need to upgrade your phone for better performance if you use older phones like iPhone 5S or 6S because of hardware limitations.
Why was it prohibited?
Garena Free Fire is a mobile battle royale game developed by 111 Dots Studio and published by Garena. The game was banned in India on September 2, 2020, due to its allegedly glaring and negative portrayal of the country's map. The game's publisher has not yet made a statement on the ban. Meanwhile, it continues to be played across other countries as well as within India despite the Indian government's request for removal from all app stores. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement after the game's release calling the game deeply offensive because it shows incorrect boundaries in Jammu and Kashmir. They also urged the international community to boycott Garena Free Fire. We call upon all our citizens to ensure that they desist from downloading or playing this so-called 'game' which can lead them into erroneous notions about India’s territorial integrity, read the ministry's statement. The game's designers say that the only reason why their maps show Kashmir incorrectly is because of how quickly they need to create the maps. When questioned about how accurate those maps are compared to what would happen if someone were able to fly over Kashmir themselves, they have no answer.
Moreover, many Indians have protested against the banning with hashtags like #NamasteIndia and #NamasteFreeFire cropping up on social media networks like Twitter in solidarity with their fellow gamers around the world. There have been rallies organized outside various Indian embassies around the world too where protesters stand together holding banners saying: Keep Our Borders Open.
How did this happen?
Garena Free Fire is a mobile battle royale game developed by 111 Dots Studio and published by Garena. The game was banned in India on September 2, 2020, after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology received many complaints about the game's immoral content. Many parents were concerned about their children being exposed to violence, sexual content, and gambling.
The game was available for download on the Google Play Store and App Store, but it has since been removed. It is not clear how long the ban will last. However, reports suggest that there are no plans to lift the ban in the near future. A report by PTI quoted Director General (DG) of Press Council of India, C K Panda as saying: The objectionable contents in this game have hurt the sentiments of many people. He added: Therefore, we condemn this as an insensitive move.
The Press Council is also investigating whether or not this ban violated any rights guaranteed under Articles 19 and 21.
It seems unlikely that there will be any change in policy without public pressure from citizens against this ban. In addition, the government should establish regulations that can prevent minors from accessing these games. As things stand now, both mobile platforms and Indian internet providers are scrambling to restrict access to Garena Free Fire. Hopefully these steps can help restore some peace of mind among parents who want to keep their children safe online. But the ban could just be temporary if the government does not take further action soon.
Details about Garena's Response
Garena has responded to the ban by releasing a statement saying they are disappointed with the decision and are exploring all options to get the game un-banned in India. They also said they will continue to provide our players with the best possible gaming experience. First, it is important to understand what Garena is. It is a South East Asian multiplayer online battle arena video game publisher owned by Tencent Holdings Limited. It was founded in 2009 as an independent company, but later acquired by Tencent in 2012 for $400 million. In 2013, the company had about 900 employees, 200 of which were involved with the publishing of their games, including titles such as League of Legends (2009), Arena of Valor (2018), Blade & Soul (2012) and more. Tencent also acquired Supercell Oy for $8.6 billion USD earlier this year after spending billions on acquiring shares from other companies that own some stake in Supercell's ownership before initiating negotiations around selling its shares outright last year. The most recent title published by Garena is Horizon Chase Turbo, which launched in September 2018. It seems like we're heading towards a global monopoly when it comes to games publishers, however. All three major publishers have now been bought out by international corporations: Activision Blizzard was purchased by Vivendi; Tencent merged with Disney Interactive; and Microsoft purchased GitHub.
Final Thoughts on the Game and Ban
Garena Free Fire is a battle royale game where players fight to be the last person standing. The game was banned in India due to its alleged use of a loot box system, which allows players to pay for in-game items. This ban comes as a surprise to many, as the game was only recently released in the country. While the game may be popular, it's not without its controversy. Some feel that the ban is unfair, while others believe that it's warranted. Only time will tell how this situation will play out. It will be interesting to see if the ban on Garena Free Fire impacts other games with similar systems or if it remains isolated. There are two sides to every story and while there are some who believe that this decision is fair, there are others who do not agree. Regardless of which side one falls on, it would be hard to deny that a ban like this could have an impact on gamers and developers alike. For now, it seems that we'll just have to wait and see what happens next. How will the developers respond? What are your thoughts on the ban? Leave us a comment below and let us know! If you're interested in learning more about video games, check out our blog! We cover all sorts of topics related to gaming, such as reviews and industry news. Be sure to visit our homepage for even more information about gaming! We offer informative articles on everything from current events to industry trends. Whether you're a gamer yourself or someone who simply has an interest in what's going on in the world of video games, we've got something for everyone! From reviews to industry news, we cover it all. If you want to learn more about what's happening in the world of gaming, keep reading!
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