KRAFTON Nears Full Reveal of BGMI Franchise League: Aims to Professionalize Indian Esports Ecosystem
KRAFTON is set to unveil a franchise-style BGMI league, marking a major shift in Indian esports. BMPS winner Team Aryan will also represent India at the Esports World Cup 2025.
Image Via Krafton India
KRAFTON is about to launch a long-awaited esports league for Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) in a franchise-style model, which reflects a paradigm shift in competitive gaming in the country. Sohn Hyunil Sohn, the CEO of KRAFTON India, in an interview with The Economic Times, said a full announcement might follow soon. He said, “We may be ready to share our complete approach maybe in one or two months.”
There is already sufficient evidence that after several months of internal planning and groundwork, KRAFTON is approaching the final stage of revealing its full franchise blueprint. In reference to the planned one- to two-month timeline, it indicates that the franchise framework is being finalized and stakeholders should expect more formal details soon.
For the past three years, BGMI's esports ecosystem has seen the majority of all competitions and events relying heavily on an open qualifier that any team could register for and all teams playing through tiered progression. But as Sohn explained, “Our esports structure has been in place for the last three years, but it lacked strict guidelines for team operations and sponsorships.” He acknowledges that while this system provided accessibility, it lacked the professionalism and organizational clarity needed for long-term sustainability.
By stating that there are no "strict guidelines," Sohn is addressing perhaps the most common concern voiced by members of the industry: there are no guidelines on team management, player contracts, sponsorship commitments, financial consistency, etc. The outcome has been a fractured scene with teams operating in relative isolation and differing levels of professionalism, often even wondering how to be stable and monetize!
He further added, “There were a lot of requests from industry peers for a more consistent offering,” which indicates that this shift is a response to the needs expressed by the ecosystem itself, teams, sponsors, and arguably even fans, asking for a more consistent, controlled format in similar fashion to traditional sports leagues.
Aiming for Structure, Stability, and Shared Gains
The upcoming franchise league is not just about competition; it’s a push toward building a formal esports economy. Sohn highlighted this by saying, “The general principle is that all participants in the ecosystem will share both financial and operational burdens and share the commercial upsides in a fair manner.”
In this case, Sohn talks about a co-investment model, where teams, organizers, and sponsors won't only strive to compete for prize money but will also be investing in and benefiting from the broader commercial success of the league. This will also include potential revenue from sponsorships, media rights, merchandise, and ticketing. The statement indicates there will be a transparent revenue-sharing structure where the risks and rewards are shared fairly. This will ultimately develop longer-term trust and stabilization between the participants.
The ecosystem-building process has already begun. KRAFTON invited corporations, celebrities, and investors to signal their interest in owning a BGMI team, a process they have seen occur with international leagues like the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League. Now, Sohn confirmed the next step has moved into a more formalized planning process: KRAFTON has begun to solicit formal feedback from potential team owners and partners.
This indicates that the league is not just on paper; the business is actively working with all possible stakeholders to further develop operational logistics, confirm rulesets, evaluate financial and revenue models, and branding anticipations. The primary goal is to get all aspects of the league to align prior to its public unveiling.
Addressing BGMI’s India-Only Concern
For all the hopeful developments, one problem remains: BGMI is still limited to Indian servers and competitions because it is a localized alternative to PUBG Mobile, which was banned in India in 2020. To deal with the issue, Sohn said, “I understand that esports athletes want to play at global events. We are trying to see if we can bring in global teams to India. That’s one way to solve the issue.”
This statement highlights that KRAFTON is aware of the limited international exposure faced by Indian players. By suggesting international teams play in Indian hosted events, KRAFTON is looking to mimic the international sporting competition experience in an Indian setting. It could also imply future international scrims, invitational tournaments, or even having global league matches taking place in India to give Indian players a chance to compete against international competition on home turf.
Global Representation in Progress
KRAFTON is attempting to breach the global barrier through existing tournaments as well. The BGMI Masters Series (BMPS) and the BGMI India Series (BGIS) continue to position KRAFTON for competitive greatness. KRAFTON's future franchise league will represent a definitive change in India's esports ecosystem by providing structure, responsibility, and long-term vision. As BGMI transitions into a competitive scene, BMPS winner Team Aryan received a direct slot at the Esports World Cup 2025. We can say that India is growing in esports and making room on the world stage for instances like the Esports World Cup 2025.
