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Garena relaunches Free Fire in India a year after ban

Image Credits:Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Images

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Sea ’s Garena has yet to launch its popular wandering title Free Fire in India , more than six months after announcing program to do so , a sustain delay that has raised vexation among entrepreneurs and investor who are closely watch Sea ’s expanding upon strategy in the lucrative South Asiatic mart .

Garena , the gaming social unit of Sea , announced program tolaunch Free Fire in India in August last year , marking a counter more than a year and a half after the title was banned in India . The firm — which has partnered with Yotta , master by local jumbo Hiranandani , for swarm and other storage needs of local users ’ data in the country — say it will relinquish the claim in India on September 5 .

But more than six month later , the firm that appointed Indian cricket picture Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador in the country has yet to launch the plot .

Yanjun Wang , radical principal corporate officer at Sea , said during the net profit call this week that the Singapore - headquarter heavyweight was “ still make water changes ” to the secret plan to factor in “ drug user ’ preference locally ” and has “ no cloth ontogenesis ” to share .

Free Fire , once a dear plot in India with more than 40 million users , has pass on its devoted fanbase frustrate by Garena ’s lack of transparency regarding the relaunch , leading many gamers to give up the form of address in favor of Krafton ’s BGMI .

Have been so patient with garena and destitute attack since the last 2.5 days ! Do nt roll in the hay how much longer can we wait . Do nt hump what to doDont intend they even wish about esports in India anymore

Sea declined to comment .

Indiabanned Free Fire and dozens of other Chinese apps in 2022 . Days later , Sea said it wasshutting down Shopee ’s operations in India , months into essay the social Commerce Department service in the country .

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The testing of Shopee in India had prompted criticism from local retailers in the country . The Confederation of All India Traders , an influential third house grouping for scores of offline retailer in India , had pass out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi , monish him that the arrival of yet another extraneous player engage in what it alleged were “ unfair swop recitation ” will hurt the local ecosystem .

India had also banned Krafton ’s PUBG in the country , but last yr permitted the firm tolaunch a similar engagement royale deed . Krafton ’s deed of conveyance has once again become the most pop game in India .