Krafton India’s Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is arguably the most popular battle royale game in the country. Its popularity has only seen growth after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) approved its unban.
Recently, Google Play named BGMI first in the ranks of ‘Best Apps and Games’ for its yearly awards 2023. Google awards the best apps and games on its platform every year across categories to honour the developers. Usually, the popularity of an app is determined through the number of downloads, however, it is not the only criteria.
Speaking to HT Tech, Krafton India CEO, Sean Hyunil Sohn said, “We are honoured by this recognition of our efforts to create unparalleled gaming experiences for our Indian fans. Our heartfelt thanks to Google Play for not only bestowing these awards but also for their unwavering guidance, support, and promotion within the vast Indian user base. We dedicate these awards to our loyal and passionate community of players, who have been with us through every milestone.”
BGMI, however, was not the only popular title that won the award. EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile Soccer secured second spot on the list, whereas Pokémon GO stood third. BGMI’s achievement is quite a feat, as the second and third games on the list are globally accessible, whereas their title can only be played in India.
Krafton can also be remarked as the best developer of the year 2023. It’s Road to Valor: Empires also secured second spot for best game in the category for multiplayer titles.
The game has seen a fair share of issues with multiple bans and restrictions in the past. Even after that, BGMI managed to remain on top of all other games in terms of content and development. A big credit goes to Krafton India for developing the game while staying within ministry’s guidelines and restrictions.
Here’s the complete list of awards across categories apart from BGMI –
- Best Game of 2023 (India) – Monopoly GO!
- Users’ Choice Game of 2023 (India) – Subway Surfers Blast
- Best Made in India – Battle Stars: 4v4 TDM & BR
- Best Multiplayer – Call of Dragons, Road to Valor: Empires, Undawn
- Best Pick Up & Play – Campfire Cat Cafe, Mighty Doom, Monopoly GO!
- Best Indies – Block Heads: Duel Puzzle Games, Kurukshetra: Ascension, Vampire Survivors
- Best Story – Honkai – Star Rai, Lost Words: Beyond the Page, MementoMori: AFKRPG
- Best Ongoing – Battlegrounds Mobile India, EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile Soccer, Pokémon GO
- Best on Play Pass – Linea: An Innerlight Game, Magic Rampage, Silly Royale -Devil Amongst Us
- Best Multi-device Game – Call of Dragons
- Best for Tablets – Call of Dragons, Doomsday: Last Survivors, Viking Rise
- Best for Google Play Games on PC – Asphalt 9: Legends