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The BMPS 2025 has concluded in Yashobhoomi Convention Center, Delhi, where Team Aryan x TMG Gaming emerged as champions, bagging INR 1.25 Crore prize money and a golden opportunity to represent India at the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The tournament not only delivered thrilling matches but also brought fans, teams, and key industry voices together. Among them was Karan Pathak, Associate Director of Esports at KRAFTON India, who shared insights with SportsTiger into the evolving esports ecosystem, the BGMI franchise league, foreign investments, government support, player loan allowance for the Esports World Cup 2025, and the company’s long-term vision.
Karan Pathak opens up on BGMI Esports journey, BMPS 2025, franchise league foreign investments, & more
It’s a beautiful journey: Reflecting on the growth of BGMI esports, Pathak expressed pride in Krafton India’s efforts.
"It's a beautiful journey. I think me and the entire team at Krafton, we've been working really hard to grow the entire ecosystem and grow esports in the country. So it's a beautiful journey. We thank the fans, all the stakeholders, and all the teams who have made this big," Karan Pathank said.
Karan Pathak on fan response on the first two days of BMPS 2025:
“We tried doing something different this time. It didn’t work out flawlessly in the first two days, but on Day 3 the fans showed their love. Even now they’re outside, supporting their teams. And all our experiments don't really work out to be flawless or to be correct. But there is something that we are trying to introduce in the ecosystem. And this was a trial. Suppose two days; maybe it didn't work out. But the third day again we knew for a fact that the fans love the gameplay. Right now also they are outside," he added.
Franchise League - The most awaited step:
When asked about the much-anticipated BGMI Franchise League, Pathak said, "For the BGMI Franchise League, I think everybody has been waiting on this. All of us—our esports fans, the teams, and the entire ecosystem—have been waiting for the Franchisee League. So, I'm hoping for a similar effect (IPL-type response) to happen."
When asked about the government support and esports recognition, he replied,
“The visits from government representatives show strong support. We are working together to make sure that there are policies around esports and we are able to grow this better. Ma'am (Raksha Khadse, Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India) came in, and sir (Shri Bhubaneswar Kalita, MP Rajya Sabha) came in. That just shows that we have a lot of support from the government. They are also taking initiatives to learn more about esports, and we always love to have them at the venue. We are always here to accommodate them and then have an experience with them wherein we also are able to educate them as to how much manpower it actually takes to have these 16 teams come and play.”
He revealed that close to 2,500 people have worked behind the scenes for BMPS 2025, highlighting the manpower and scale involved in executing such a major tournament.
Esports World Cup 2025: Player Loan Rules Clarified
Pathak also addressed whether teams heading to the Esports World Cup 2025 can loan players. “I think all teams have 6-member lineups. 2 of them have 5-member lineups. So if they do accommodate someone, which has been done in the past, I think it should be okay,” he confirmed.
Prize Pool and support for underdogs
BMPS 2025 saw a prize pool of ₹2 Crore, with additional rewards powered by fan engagement. Highlighting on the same, Pathak said, “If the fans keep engaging with the game, I'm sure that we would be able to increase the prize pool.”
Will foreign investment be allowed in the BGMI Franchise League?
When asked if non-Indian entities can invest in the franchise model, Pathak clarified: "The BGMI franchise league is local-based, but franchisees are interested parties who are foreigners, non-Indians, and have partnered with local teams and local investors. They are partners in India. So, primarily, it is for an Indian ecosystem. So, we have seen foreigners coming, joining hands with the Indian organizations, and then coming into the franchise."
What’s next? The H2 Roadmap
Pathak concluded by teasing two major tournaments lined up for the second half of 2025:
Franchise League – "I think we're all clear, we're waiting for things to run about the Franchise League. Once we have more details, we'll share them with you."
Campus Tour – "And second is the campus tour that we've been talking about. More details will come out shortly, wherein we'll announce the names of the colleges that we're going to. What is going to be the prize pool and the structure around it? So, two big tournaments are lined up for sure, but there will be different announcements around that."
