Garena Relaunches Free Fire in India After Ban

Garena is relaunching Free Fire in India, a year and a half after the popular mobile title was banned in the South Asian market over national security concerns.

Local Storage Partnership

The firm, owned by South Asian giant Sea, said it has partnered with Yotta, controlled by local giant Hiranandani, for cloud and other storage needs of local users’ data in the country.

Localized for India

The company said it has further localized Free Fire for the Indian market.

Popularity in India

Prior to its ban, Free Fire was a popular title in India and had about 40 million monthly active users in the country and competed closely with Krafton, whose PUBG and BGMI titles are also sleeper hit titles in India.

Following Krafton’s Re-entry

Garena’s move follows Krafton securing a re-entry of BGMI in India on a trial basis. Last year, Sea also quietly attempted to launch its e-commerce platform Shopee in India but ceased the initiative weeks after the ban on Free Fire.

Investing in Local Firms

Industry executives say that Garena still needs to change its tack in the country and should attempt to mirror Krafton’s strategy by investing in local firms.

Identity in India

“We still believe that Sea needs to present a more vocal identity for its India business, and for that, it needs to hire an established CEO,” AllianceBernstein analysts wrote last year. “This is required to bring an identity to its Indian business, rather than being operated from the region.”

No Response from Sea

Sea didn’t respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

Conclusion

Garena’s relaunch of Free Fire in India marks a significant comeback after the ban and highlights the company’s efforts to regain its popularity in the South Asian market. With partnerships for local storage and further localization, Garena aims to win back the 40 million monthly active users it once had in the country. However, industry experts suggest that the company needs to adopt a more localized approach and invest in local firms. The absence of a vocal identity for its Indian business and the need for an established CEO are factors that Sea should address to gain a stronger foothold in the Indian market.

Stay Tuned for Updates

More information on Garena’s Free Fire relaunch in India will be provided in future updates.