MS Dhoni to be a playable character as 'Thala' as Garena's Free Fire roars back in India

Garena, a Singapore-based game developer and digital entertainment arm of Sea Group has announced return of its popular mobile battle royale game Free Fire in India India. "Free Fire India" is all set to take nation's video-gaming industry by storm as it will be available to downlo in country from September 5.

Free Fire along with 53 or mobile apps was banned by Indian government in February last year. game was also most downloed mobile game worldwide in January 2022 right before its ban in February 2022, with 24 million downlos representing a 51.6% increase over January 2021, according to Sensor Tower data.

Sharing his thoughts on game’s return, Mr. Animesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO of 8Bit Creatives, India’s leing esports consulting and talent agency, and Co-Founder of S8UL said, “India has always been a pivotal pillar of Free Fire's global user base and its return opens doors to exceptional avenues that will bolster gaming landscape of country With game’s re-launch, re will be a remarkable surge in frequency of tournaments with lucrative prize pools for players to make a name for mselves.

impact of game will not be limited to just competitive scenario as it will be a significant boost to creators' community as well. By providing creators with diverse and immersive content, Free Fire India will enable m to grow and expand ir fanbase within industry. As game gains renewed attention and engagement, re will also be an influx of interest as well as investments from brands into ecosystem.  

We are excited for this new chapter to unfold and look forward to witnessing rise of video gaming sector in India."

As per Garena’s official release, MS Dhoni was roped in as brand ambassor for Free Fire India and became first Indian sportsperson to be featured in-game as a playable character, “Thala”. Dhoni will be joined by India’s leing sportspersons, such as football captain Sunil Chhetri, bminton champion Saina Nehwal, tennis legend Leander Paes, and Kabbi champion Rahul Chaudhari have all joined hands with Garena Free Fire to boost Indian Esports ecosystem

Mr. Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India and vice president of Asian Esports Federation (AESF) stated, “ re-entry of FreeFire brings immense promise for players across nation, amplifying competitive spirit and paving way for recognition and opportunities on a global scale.  Marking a pivotal step forward in growth of competitive gaming, ESFI supports such endeavors which will guide industry towards unparalleled growth and excellence.”

As per data from Sensor Tower, Garena Free Fire generated $1.1 billion in revenue from January to December 2021. Garena Free Fire was also most downloed game worldwide in 2021 across App Store and Play Store with 218 million downlos on mobile devices.

“We anticipate a ripple effect that will encourage inception of more high-profile tournaments and events. This move ignites momentum needed to realize our collective vision of a vibrant and thriving esports landscape in India. India will now witness continued growth of Esports prize pools and userbase with FreeFire India leveraging it furr to invigorate our Esports landscape. 

While embracing this wave of progress, it is also crucial that Indian government exercises vigilance over aspect of security and data privacy. Safeguarding interests of players and enthusiasts alike is a collective responsibility that ensures sustainability and credibility of our Esports journey," ded Mr. Lokesh Suji.

2021 Free Fire World Series, a Garena Free Fire tournament hosted by Singapore, became most-watched Esports event of all time, with a recorded 5.41 million peak viewers, according to Statista.

"Free Fire India's launch is a game-changer, set to transform India's Esports scene. It heralds more tournaments, increased earnings, and massive prize pools, mirroring Free Fire's firm grip on India's user base. Despite no Indian teams at Free Fire World Series 2022 Grand Finals, Hindi stream astonishingly recorded peak viewership. As Freefire restarts in India, we're excited for viewership to break new records. This is an exhilarating time for our players who stand to reap huge benefits. At Gods Reign, renowned for crafting championship-winning rosters, we're in talks with several Freefire rosters. We can't wait to announce our new roster soon, ding anor thrilling chapter to this vibrant esports story of Gods Reign," commented Devam "Dev" Vyas, Vice President of Esports at Gods Reign, a leing Indian esports organization

According to Sensor Tower store intelligence data, most downloed mobile game globally in June 2023 was Garena's Free Fire (including Free Fire MAX), with nearly 19 million downlos. country with most downlos of Free Fire during this period was India with 27.9% of total, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam with 12.7% and 8.1% respectively.

Free Fire from Garena was biggest competitor to Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), most popular battle royale game in India. game’s return will ensure healthy competition between two titles, leing to overall growth of video gaming industry.