Written By Deepti Ratnam
Published By: Deepti Ratnam | Published: Feb 11, 2026, 08:39 AM (IST)
One game that rose to popularity in India and became a household name is Garena Free Fire. With its fast-paced and action-adventure gaming experience, it understood the Indian mobile gaming audience better than most of the battle royale games in the country. There was a time when high-end smartphones were not so much popular in India, and hence, playing high-end games was not so common. But, Free Fire not just offered smooth gameplay on low-end devices, but its small download size and fast matchmaking made it perfect for casual gamers. The game offers short 10-minute battles, and due to this, it helped it spread rapidly across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. This was the first time that users in these cities experienced online multiplayer gaming.
Nevertheless, even after gaining so much popularity, the game was banned in India in February 2022 as part of government fighting over apps that are responsible for data theft and privacy concerns. The Indian government removed the app from the Google Play Store and App Store. This came as a shock for millions of players.
However, despite the ban, the game still had massive fan base and remained strong as it was deeply rooted in the India’s gaming culture.
After the ban, the game developer Garena announced that they will re-launch Free Fire with a different name and the game will comply with rules, regulations, and privacy with the Indian government. The game developer said, the new game will focus on compliance and local data storage along with maintaining player’s safety.
Finally, a new game called Free Fire MAX was launched in India with enhanced version, offering better graphics and smooth animations. The Free Fire MAX, once again became the popular battle royale title in the countr and enured that the ecosystem stayed alive.
One of the striking features that came with the launch of the Garena Free Fire MAX is the alphanumeric redeem codes that helped players to claim in-game items and rewards. The rewards can include items such as character outfits, emotes, vouchers, pets, weapons, guns, skins, and many other premium items. However, one thing to remember here is that these codes are time-limited and region-specific. So make sure, you are redeeming them on time or cross-checking them before redeeming.