# Free Fire India launches four years after the ban, with servers in India, playtime limits and spending caps

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/technology/free-fire-india-launches-four-years-after-the-ban-with-servers-in-india-playtime)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 28 Oct 2026
Updated: 28 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 28 Oct 2026

> Garena's standalone game is out on Android and iOS. Free Fire MAX stays available and shares accounts and events with it. What changes for players, and why it was banned.

**Garena has launched Free Fire India, a separate version of its battle-royale game for Indian players, on Wednesday 28 October**, more than four and a half years after India banned the original, [TechCrunch reported](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/28/free-fire-returns-to-india-as-garena-launches-localized-version-four-years-after-ban/). The game is on **Android and iOS**, and user data is hosted on **servers in India**. "Free Fire India" is searched about 22,200 times a month in Pakistan alone, Semrush shows, a sign of how closely players here follow the game.

## What is new in Free Fire India

- **A standalone game**, not an update to the original Free Fire app.
- **Data kept in India**, on local servers.
- **India-specific content**, plus **parental controls, playtime limits and spending caps**.
- **Free Fire MAX stays.** It remains available and shares accounts and events with Free Fire India, so players do not lose their progress.

Garena gave no in-game prices or details of the spending caps in the launch reported by TechCrunch.

## Why it was banned, and why it took so long

India banned Free Fire in **February 2022**, along with **53 other apps**, citing alleged links to China and national security. Garena is owned by **Sea**, a Singapore company; the ban wiped **more than $16 billion** off Sea's market value in a single day. A relaunch was announced for **September 2023** and then postponed without explanation, and Garena has not said what changed this time.

The path mirrors PUBG Mobile, which India banned in September 2020 and which returned through Krafton's India-only **Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI)**.

## How big it is

Even with the original blocked, the Free Fire franchise, through Free Fire MAX, had about **77.4 million monthly active users in India in June**, according to Sensor Tower figures cited by TechCrunch, against about **20.8 million for BGMI**.

## What it means for players in Pakistan

The launch does not change the Free Fire and Free Fire MAX apps players use in Pakistan; the India version is built for Indian servers and rules. What players here may notice is more India-focused events and esports, since Free Fire India's launch brings back one of the game's largest markets.

Gaming on mobile data adds up. Before a long session, check what your bundle costs on our [mobile packages comparison](/compare/mobile-packages), and if you are buying a new phone for gaming, our [PTA tax calculator](/tools/telecom/pta-mobile-tax-calculator) shows the registration cost of an imported set.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is Free Fire India available on iPhone?**

Yes. Garena launched Free Fire India on Android and iOS on 28 October 2026, TechCrunch reported.

**Why was Free Fire banned in India?**

India banned Free Fire in February 2022 along with 53 other apps, over alleged links to China and national security concerns. Garena's owner Sea is based in Singapore.

**Can I play Free Fire India from Pakistan?**

The new version is built for the Indian market, with servers in India. Players in Pakistan use the existing Free Fire and Free Fire MAX, which are unaffected by the launch.

## Sources

- Free Fire returns to India as Garena launches localized version four years after ban (TechCrunch): https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/28/free-fire-returns-to-india-as-garena-launches-localized-version-four-years-after-ban/

How to cite: "Free Fire India launches four years after the ban, with servers in India, playtime limits and spending caps", Searchable, 28 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/technology/free-fire-india-launches-four-years-after-the-ban-with-servers-in-india-playtime