Garena Free Fire Removed From Google Play, App Store; Is It Because Of PUBG’s Legal Filing?

Garena Free Fire seems to be in trouble recently. It started when Krafton, the company behind PUBG and BGMI, filed a legal notice against Garena for startling similarities in Free Fire. In the latest update, Garena Free Fire is missing from both Google Play and the App Store. Are the two issues related?

Garena Free Fire Removed From Google Play, App Store

Going into the details, the Free Fire app on Google Play and App Store is unavailable for download, and it's been that way since February 12. Currently, Garena hasn't provided any reason regarding the removal of Free Fire for download. An official statement is expected soon.

That said, if you already have the game on your mobile, you can still access it. This is quite similar to when PUBG Mobile was banned by the Indian government. The game was immediately stopped for new downloads. But those who already had the game on their phones could continue playing it for a couple more days.

To note, Garena Free Fire has been banned. However, Free Fire Max is still available for download on Google Play, but the same isn't available on the Apple App Store. Interestingly, Google or Apple also haven't revealed any details about the removal of the popular battle royale game for downloads.

Is It Because Of PUBG Lawsuit?

Looking back, Krafton filed a lawsuit against Google, Apple, and Garena. The grounds of the lawsuit are against game developers of Free Fire and Free Fire Max for releasing games that look exactly like PUBG. Moreover, Krafton had also sued Google and Apple for distributing games that look so similar to PUBG.

Krafton has also accused Google of hosting YouTube videos of gameplay of Free Fire and Free Fire Max. Garena Free Fire is a popular game in India and bears many similarities to PUBG Mobile and even the Battlegrounds Mobile India.

The removal of the Garena Free Fire game is currently mysterious. Some reports claim it could be due to a government ban, just as we witnessed back in 2020 when PUBG Mobile and several other apps were banned. Until we receive an official statement from the companies, it's best to take it with a grain of salt.