Ever since the advent of mobile battle royale games, two eSports games in particular have witnessed a tremendous surge and increase in popularity in India in recent years.

Captivating gamers the world over, two of the frontrunners for the mobile battle royale genre of games are Free Fire and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).

Developed by Garena International and 111dots Studio, Free Fire can be played by a maximum of 50 players. 

All Free Fire players start in a plane hovering over an island, and they begin the game by jumping onto the island with the objective of the game being to try to be the last survivor. Free Fire though has been banned by the Indian government since February 2022.

BGMI, meanwhile, is developed by Krafton and is India’s version of PUBG mobile. A TPP-FPP survival shooter game where a maximum of 100 players compete in a battle royale, BGMI is a large-scale last-man-standing deathmatch. 

Both BGMI and Free Fire have a huge fanbase and following, especially in India and with that in mind, we dissect which game is better by analysing its gameplay, graphics and maps among other things.

So without further ado, let’s answer the question: BGMI vs Free Fire who is best?

BGMI vs Free Fire who is best

While there are many features to analyse, let’s start by looking at the gameplay of both games. Free Fire and BGMI both offer action-packed gameplay that centres on survival in a battle royal environment.

While Free Fire gives you swift-paced games with a total of 50 players at most, BGMI provides more intense fights for as many as 100 players, making for a larger player count that enables tactical gameplay and more severe competition. 

Furthermore, BGMI has innovative features like visual grenade indicators, reactive supply systems, and throwable consumables, amplifying your overall gaming experience.

Moving on to the graphics as well as visual aspects of both games, and it’s clear to see that BGMI gives their players more realistic graphics that push the limit of gaming on mobile devices.

On the other hand, Free Fire has a more cartoon-like and colorful design that ropes in its own audience since preference for graphic styles is largely subjective and also has to factor in device capabilities as BGMI is more demanding of one’s system than Free Fire.

As far as maps and environments for these games go, both games come with a variety of maps. These multiple maps have their own terrain and unique elements. Free Fire though is better at offering small, compact maps that allow intense and quick-paced battles. 

Meanwhile, BGMI gives you sprawling maps with various landscapes, making for more strategic gaming while constantly having to be aware of one’s situation in the game. The bigger maps in BGMI foster team-based tactics and cooperation among players.

When it comes to customization and progression, both Free Fire and BGMI provide plenty of customization options to create a unique in-game character. 

Free Fire, in fact, has an extensive array of weapon choices, customizable skins, and character abilities to give players a sense of personalization. 

BGMI’s customization system lets players dress their characters, customize weapon skins, and unlock various emotes. Both games also have a progression system which rewards players with new items and abilities as they level up.

All things considered, the choice between Free Fire and BGMI is a personal one. If a player is in search of quick-paced and high-octane battles, Free Fire is the game for you.

That said, Indian gamers seem to prefer BGMI over Free Fire, primarily due to its realistic graphics, bigger maps, and innovative features.

Photo credit: Alamy