An Exclusive Interview With Karan Pathak, Associate Director of Esports at Krafton India, About EWC & BGMI Esports
- Bryan Francis (@Dracorexiaa)
- Jul 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 15
Earlier this month, BMPS 2025 concluded with Team Aryan becoming the champions of the tournament and taking home the prize of INR 1.25 Cr and a spot at the upcoming PMWC at the Esports World Cup. We sat down with Karan Mahesh Pathak, Associate Director of Esports at Krafton India, to discuss the EWC collaboration, prize pool strategy, and some details behind the recently announced BGMI Esports Franchising League.
"The goal is to bring one of the best, or perfect tournament models, to everyone." Krafton India's Karan Pathak on Record High BMPS Prize Pool
Q. Could you shed some light on why Krafton India has decided to introduce the franchising model within BGMI Esports? Additionally, does this mean you're shifting away from the 'open to all' Model?
Karan: So, last time I didn't have the permissions to discuss it. While I still can't speak about the things we are working on, I must state that we are not changing from an open format to a franchise league. The open format of BGIS remains the same as it has been since 2023. You will also continue to have BMPS tournaments every year. The upcoming franchising league is an additional tournament that we are adding to give back to the community.
We've been waiting for this; it takes time to plan a franchising league, and now it's ready to be launched. That’s the primary reason we have reached out to stakeholders who could participate with us, as we don't want a situation where someone invests money and purchases a franchise, only to find that we wouldn't be partnering with them for the long term.
Q. There are talks about the upcoming franchising league consisting of teams representing various cities in India. Could you shed some light on this and explain why Krafton India feels the need to establish a franchising league within its esports circuit?
Karan: The first thing the franchising league does is enable teams, and by extension, the current organizations, to receive funds by loaning out their team or roster. This is the primary reason we chose to work in teams rather than individually. Not everyone is aware of who is a good Esports player, and who isn't. And secondly, when non-gaming individuals or corporates enter the picture, we also need to educate them about esports so that the overall ecosystem can grow. When I say 'grow,' we already know that we need more brands and stakeholders to come in; this opens doors for all of it.
Q. The total prize pool for BMPS 2025 was INR 4 crore. This time, the prize pool was increased by fans who simply played the game. Could you share your thoughts on this model with Krafton India, and let us know if it was a success?
Karan: The engagement by the community on the Discovery Island game mode has been super high. Remarkably, we've found this level of engagement within the game from the esports community. The players, our fans, and the entire Community coming together to put in those hours and complete the points was a big win.
All 32 teams that made it to the semi-finals should applaud and appreciate their fan base. All 96 teams should be pleased that their fans are helping them grow financially as well. I think at Krafton India, we keep trying new things. The goal is to bring one of the best or perfect tournament models to everyone. Without trying something, we cannot claim that this is the best thing we could do.
Q. The winners of BMPS 2025, Team Aryan, will participate in the upcoming Esports World Cup. How does it feel that your organization will be sending one of the few teams from India to take part in this tournament, and how did this opportunity arise?
Karan: This year, EWC reached out to us, and we were happy to join hands with them. We all know how passionate the fan base in India is and how high the engagement with the Indian audience is within BGMI Esports.
Krafton is already a part of EWC and has maintained a presence there with PUBG PC. As for the mobile division, we have been interacting with senior leadership, figuring out a way to join this year. We checked about inviting the winner of BMPS 2025, and that's how we got the slot
We've been making consistent efforts towards this. It was attempted earlier, but was unsuccessful. Fortunately, this year, we have the opportunity to go. We're thrilled that our players get global exposure and the incredible opportunity to play alongside players from other nations, and that's what we are happy about right now.
