- Garena has launched BOOYAH!, an app largely focused on being a hub for content creators whose primary game is Garena Free Fire, in India.
- The app enables users to livestream gameplay, upload videos, chat with the community, and play games together with their favorite streamers.
- Garena will also be running events and exclusive activities on the platform to help attract new audiences.
Garena has launched BOOYAH!, its platform for gaming videos, in India. The app is available on both Android and Apple-based devices, along with a web version that is accessible through PCs. The name BOOYAH! is also the term for a win in a game of Free Fire – the battle royale developed by Garena. While the app could potentially be used for any and all games, the themes, features, and release seem to be centered on positioning it as the platform for Free Fire content creators.
Like other streaming platforms, BOOYAH! offers similar features such as chatting with other users, the ability to livestream, and more. Users will be able to broadcast gameplay on the app as well as to major streaming platforms such as Facebook Gaming, YouTube Gaming, and Twitch. Users will be able to re-stream and chat with viewers on all platforms simultaneously at no additional cost.
They will also be able to generate Free Fire match highlights, link their Free Fire accounts to BOOYAH!, and share them via social media. The app also allows for creating custom rooms where viewers can play along with or compete against their favorite streamers.
Finally, the app will also host events in a bid to attract users to the platform. A few such events have already been executed, with plans for more in the future. These include streamer reward programs, drop-enabled streams, and broadcast of esport events such as the Free Fire India Scrim Wars.
The app’s release reiterates Free Fire’s focus on content and creators – two integral linchpins behind the success of titles such as PUBG MOBILE in India. However, the challenge will be to attract audiences from already established platforms such as YouTube into a new domain. The risk for established content creators is also high as they cannot abandon their existing follower bases on other platforms. It also raises the question of whether creators want both their game and platform to be owned by the same company, a move that could potentially leave them at the mercy of Garena.
The game livestreaming landscape in India is currently dominated by YouTube. Newer entrants include Rheo TV, who raised a $2M USD seed funding round that saw participation from Sequoia Capital India’s Surge, Lightspeed, and various angel investors.
