Free Fire Max is an online multiplayer battle royale game developed by 11 Dots Studio and published by Garena. Launched on 28th September 2021, Free Fire Max is an enhanced version of the popular battle royale game, Free Fire, developed and published by Garena. Free Fire Max retains the core elements of Free Fire but offers upgraded graphics, improved gameplay mechanics and enhanced visuals.
Free Fire Max offers several game modes. These include the classic battle royale where up to 50 players fight till the last player standing, gun king mode where the players progress through multiple weapons with the aim of getting a kill with each weapon, clash squad mode where two teams of four players each compete to fulfil multiple objectives and custom rooms mode which allows the players to create and customise their own game rooms with friends. Free Fire Max is available on both Android and iOS platforms.
Free Fire Max in India
Free Fire Max has not been banned in India. However, its original version, Free Fire, was banned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in February 2022. To be specific, Free Fire has two versions, Free Fire Lite and Free Fire Max. The government banned the Lite version of Free Fire, while the upgraded version, Free Fire Max, was spared.
Free Fire was among the 273 Chinese apps banned by the Government of India till that point of time. The ban was imposed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. In an official order, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology raised concerns that the app was routing data to servers in China, thereby facilitating espionage and surveillance. Risk of the app accessing device features like camera, GPS locations, microphone and network for nefarious purposes was also highlighted in the order.
Even though Garena is a Singapore-based company, the government focused on the app’s Chinese investments and ties with Chinese entities. Garena denied allegations of sending data to China but the ban on Free Fire was not lifted.
Recent Speculations and Current Status
In February 2025, the Government of India banned 119 apps, particularly those having links with China and Hong-Kong, due to security concerns. Consequently, rumours started circulating that Free Fire Max had also been banned. However, the game was not included among the banned apps.
Currently, Free Fire Max is available for download on both Play Store and App Store in India without restrictions. However, the ban on its original version, Free Fire, persists.
Santosh Kumar is a Professional SEO and Blogger, With the help of this blog he is trying to share top 10 lists, facts, entertainment news from India and all around the world.
