Indian gamers have shown their love for the battle royale game genre, as seen from the resurgence in popularity of BGMI after its unbanning. It’s a genre that’s easily understood, making it an attractive option for players both new to gaming or those looking for something that lends itself well to being a spectator sport. What started with imports like BGMI being well-liked by Indian gamers has now led to homegrown domestic games like Indus being developed as well.
Indus: A Ground-Up Indian Battle Royale Game
SuperGaming, the studio behind Indus, believes that Indian game developers can bring something unique to the battle royale genre. With 1.5 million registrations already, they might be right about that. John, the co-founder and CEO of SuperGaming, explains the reason for the genre’s popularity among Indian gamers is that it has “the right mix of easy to grasp gameplay, social networking features, and feature parity.”
Additionally, battle royale games don’t necessarily require the latest smartphone hardware, making it more accessible to players with different phones, which contributes to its wide appeal throughout India.
The Indian Gaming Market
Mobile gaming has hit massive scales in India with the advent of affordable smartphones and lower data tariffs. At the same time, the Indian gaming market has expectations comparable to those of gamers in the US or Europe, making it a challenge to develop games for. SuperGaming has found that discoverability and distribution are key when promoting their games. Interestingly, Indian players spend time in game lobbies with friends, meaning that the social aspect of battle royales has been the catalyst for them to turn into miniature social networking platforms in their own right.
Battle Royale Titles Still Popular in India
With BGMI back after its ban, other games like Valorant, Pokémon Unite, and Call of Duty Mobile are getting more spotlight. Still, the appetite for battle royale games remains strong and even seems to be growing. SuperGaming has seen an increase in sign-ups for every playtest, with the latest one held in Surat having about 2,500 sign-ups. This points to the fact that the genre still retains its enduring appeal.
Not Competing with BGMI
John feels that Indus is not competing with BGMI. The goal is not to enter into a battle royale with BGMI as there is a large audience to go around, especially when it comes to this genre’s popularity in India. The rebirth of BGMI, which has now been accessible to players once again, is a great sign for Indian talent when it comes to game development and esports getting recognition from the government in India and abroad. With that being said, it looks like the hunger for more battle royale games still hasn’t been satisfied, and there is still so much potential for growth in the genre in India.