BGMI, or Battlegrounds Mobile India, has announced that it has suspended 1,42,766 accounts in the game due to the use of tactics that qualifies as cheating in the game. A port of Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile (PUBG Mobile) global game that was banned in India as part of a crackdown on apps linked to Chinese data servers, BGMI is a popular battle royale mobile game that essentially offers an almost exact gameplay experience as PUBG Mobile, but with some changes.
The full list of accounts banned from playing has also been released and can be found here. On December 15, Krafton announced the banned list for the period from December 6 to 12, stating, “Battlegrounds Mobile India will strive to implement strict sanctions with the ultimate goal of rooting out the use of illegal programs to provide you with an enjoyable gaming environment.”
In-game cheating tactics may include downloading a copy of the game from unverified third-party sources, as well as installing add-ons that automate sections of the game to give players what is considered an undue advantage over others. The company has also previously stated that performing such actions in the game may result in a ban for certain players, and this is also included in the game usage policy for all players. Krafton, the parent company of BGMI, also said such actions would result in permanent bans and no further appeals against the bans would be accepted.
According to reports, Krafton initially warns the player via an in-game pop-up of any suspected illegal activity, although it is not clear if players have a way to contact the company for further clarification on such warnings. BGMI continues to be one of the most active gaming communities for mobile gamers in India, along with other titles such as Activision Call of Duty Mobile and Garena’s Free Fire.