Factors Impacting Free Fire’s Popularity Downturn

Garena Free Fire which was initially released on 4 December 2017. Within a few months of its release, this game started becoming famous all over the world due to its popularity. This game was made for Android and iOS mobile devices, and within no time this game became the most downloaded game in 2021.

There were two biggest reasons for the popularity of this game, one, this game was made for low-end devices which was very easy to play on any type of mobile device. Secondly, the in-game customization and settings of this game were very simple which the new player could immediately understand.

Factors Impacting Free Fire's Popularity Downturn

By the end of 2022, there was a significant decline in the popularity of this game. Some of the main reasons for the sudden decline in the popularity of the game are given below.

Increase Game Size

Initially, Free Fire had a small size for about two years, making it effortless to play on smartphones as the game data was limited to around 500MB. However, as new in-game events, items, and improved graphics were introduced, the game’s size increased significantly. Today, the total size exceeds 3GB, causing the game to lag and crash on many low-end devices, leading players to gradually stop playing due to frustration caused by these technical issues.

Earlier, playing the Free Fire game required a low-end mobile device, but currently, you need a high-end mobile device to play this game. Initially, the minimum system requirements for Free Fire were:

  • CPU: Dual Core 1.2 GHz processor
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Storage: 1.5GB free space

However, in today’s time, to play Free Fire on your mobile, you need at least:

  • CPU: Dual Core 1.2 GHz processor
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 4 GB free space

If you’re a player, you understand how frustrating it is when the game lags or crashes. It completely kills the gaming mood,For this reason most of the players stopped playing the Free Fire game.

Here’s the comparison of the system requirements for Free Fire before and after:

RequirementBefore (2018-2021)After (today’s time)
CPUDual Core 1.2 GHzDual Core 1.2 GHz
RAM1GB4GB
Storage1.5GB free space4GB free space

End of Lockdown

During 2020 and 2021, most countries experienced lockdowns, leading people to spend more time playing games as schools, colleges, and businesses were closed. Free Fire, being accessible even on low-end devices, attracted many players during this time. However, as lockdowns ended and people got busy with their routines, they had less time for gaming, causing a decline in Free Fire and other battle royale games’ popularity.

Spend More Money

Free Fire required in-game currency, diamonds, to purchase items. Players were so eager to acquire these items that they spent a significant amount of money in the game.

Free Fire game was mostly played by children and children used to spend money from their parents’ bank accounts to buy diamonds in the game without their parents’ permission. Due to which the player’s parents banned him from playing the game. But still players used to get lured by this game and play the game secretly.

Security and Privacy Concerns

On February 14, 2022, the Indian government banned Free Fire due to security and privacy concerns, believing that the game was selling users’ data. This problem was not exclusive to Free Fire but also affected PUBG. Following the ban, many players stopped playing the game, contributing significantly to its decreased popularity.

These were the main reasons for the decline in Free Fire’s popularity. Although there could be other minor reasons, these listed factors were the most significant contributors. Despite being unbanned, Free Fire’s popularity has seen a slight increase, but it’s unlikely to return to its former levels.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top