Is Krafton India planning to bring in-game ads to BGMI? Here's what we know
Krafton India has released a survey to its popular battle royale mobile gaming title BGMI with questions that hint at the speculation for the arrival of more in-game ads
 "Is Krafton India planning to bring in-game ads to BGMI? Here's what we know")
Krafton India is reportedly studying the possibility of bringing more in-game ads to BGMI. According to a report by Network18 group-owned Storyboard18, BGMI publisher has been conducting an in-game survey among BGMI players, seeking granular feedback on gameplay behaviour, spending patterns and, their attitude towards in-game advertising.
The questions in the survey related to the in-game advertising has reportedly sparked speculations that more in-game advertising may be on the anvil.
What is the survey focusing on
The survey spans wide range of questions including players’ spending on UC (in-game currency that are bought by spending real-money), purchase behaviour over the past 12 months, willingness to engage with advertising formats including post-match ads, ads during matchmaking and ad-linked reward crates.
I have been playing BGMI since it was released in India in 2023, and prior to that I used to play PUBG. In my experience, Krafton, for a long time, has presented gamers with the option to get a crate in exchange for watching an ad.
Now, the publisher is reportedly surveying approximately how much are players willing to spend to avoid ads, with options ranging from less than Rs 50 to opting out of payments entirely. As per the reports, select industry experts have noted that the depth of the questionnaire suggests a strong intent to map user tolerance for advertising without disrupting gameplay.
Why is this balance required
Such surveys help publishers figure out where brand placements can exist without affecting how long users stay engaged. The Indian market is price-sensitive in nature when it comes to gaming but it is also a market that is highly engaged in it. So, these collaborations with other companies or franchises are not conventional ads, but integrations that sit naturally within the experience.
Gaming, in particular, offers brands extended and voluntary user attention, something traditional media formats struggle to deliver. For brands, this is extremely valuable as rather than being spammed with ads, users here are basically signing up to watch their presence, potentially creating a sense of loyalty amongst them.
Will Krafton India bring more in-game ads
Storyboad18 quoted a Krafton India spokesperson as saying, “The question on monetisation is a part of our regular user surveys we conduct from time to time. We don't have anything planned or under review for ad monetization.” While this means that Krafton India may not bring more in-game ads immediately but there is a possibility that in future it may opt for that route.
Krafton India collaborations with Indian brands
Krafton India has been experimenting with brand collaborations in BGMI for quite some time now. Recently, the major collaborations that we witnessed were with automakers Mahindra and Royal Enfield. There is a possibility that these collaborations may have attracted new players to the game. Now, the publisher appears to be eyeing in to cash-in on the increased player base by understanding the users’ tolerance level towards in-game ads.