Krafton launches Battlin app to help budding BGMI players

Presently, the BGMI system lacks a proper structure, in the sense there exists no proper pathway for amateurs to become professionals. Battlin is aimed at fixing this issue. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The esports landscape in India is growing every passing day. From peaking during the Covid years, competitive mobile gaming has become a viable career option for the youth today.

Associate director of Krafton Esports, Karan Pathak, believes this is just the beginning. He thinks esports has the potential to become the top sports industry in the next ten years.

“India is bidding to host the next edition of the Esports Olympics, which is proof of the growing interest of Esports in India. So, yes, I am very optimistic about the future. It will create many more job opportunities, and you are going to see more people participating in the sport,” he said.

Karan spoke during the launch of Krafton’s Battlin app, a first-of-its-kind platform designed to make BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) gaming more accessible, organised, and transparent—so that joining or hosting a tournament is no longer a challenge in itself.

What is Battlin?

Battlin acts as a common space where players can find and host BGMI tournaments, record their achievements and help them gain recognition. Available on both iOS and android.

Presently, the BGMI system lacks a proper structure, in the sense there exists no proper pathway for amateurs to become professionals. Aspiring gamers have had to rely on Discord, third-party servers, and social media platforms to discover tournaments and compete in them.

Battlin aims to bridge that gap by maintaining a database of athletes and their achievements and help them gain recognition. Moreover, entry is free.

“I think it will help develop the grassroots and give opportunities to up-and-coming gamers to compete with somebody like Jonathan, the biggest BGMI personality in India,” Karan added.

In conversation with Krafton e-sports Associate Director

In conversation with Karan Pathak, Associate Director of Krafton e-sports | Video Credit: Sportstar

James Yongkwan Kim, lead of Battlin, said the app has specialised features to prevent malpractices and ensure fair gaming.

“Players will have to go through a trust score matting, and the app also has AI to capture players’ behavior. Only if they pass these tests will they be allowed to participate or host tournaments,” James said.

The platform will debut with Battlin Open Season 1 from November 2 to 29 across two tracks. The winning Track 1 team earns a BGIS (Battlegrounds Mobile India Series) slot and a prize money of Rs. 5 lakh, while Track 2 carries a prize pool of Rs. 15 lakh—with results tracked on the platform and rewards disbursed accordingly.

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Prashant Pandey, product manager of Battlin, said, “BGMI tournaments happen every day, seriously, but they are dispersed. Battlin will help create a wider gaming community to improve connections.

While Battlin is a step in the right direction, challenges still persist.

India, despite possessing a rich pool of talent, still lags behind South Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. In the Asian Games 2026, India came home empty-handed in esports, while Japan and South Korea won five medals each. Karan identified team play as India’s biggest weakness.

“I think we can be doing better when put under pressure. In situations where the IGL (in-game leader) and your teammates get eliminated, players need to learn to adapt and find a way to win. So gunpowder-wise, I think we are already there; we are only lacking in terms of better rotation and strategy,” he said.

Gender parity has also been an issue. BGMI in India continues to be a male-dominated field, with little representation from women. Even at the BMSD (Battlegrounds Mobile India Showdown) 2026 finals in Hyderabad between October 16 and 18, all sixteen teams comprised only male athletes.

Karan insisted there was no shortage of interest but acknowledged the need for more high-value tournaments to increase female participation.

“Women’s tournaments keep happening, it’s just that they don’t get as much visibility because of smaller prize pools. Once more sponsors start coming in, I think you will see a lot more female athletes coming through. There is definitely no dearth of talent. Paridhi Gupta, from the Rising Star team, is a well-established name who had an FD (finished/death) ratio of 27 in BGMI, which impressed even Jonathan. So we have people like her, but the synergy is something we need to work on. Factors like performance and enhancing your game also matter,” Karan said.

Team SouL wins BMSD 2026

Team SouL emerged winners at the BMSD 2026 held at the Savaaya Convention Centre in Gandipet, Hyderabad, between October 16 and 18. Gladiators Esports finished second, while team 8Bit finished third. Team K9 finished fourth, while Team Bleg and Orangutan rounded out the top six.

The champion secured a direct slot at the Global Championship 2026, where it will represent India on the world stage. The top six teams qualified for the BMIC (Battlegrounds Mobile India International Cup) 2026, which will take place in Mumbai from October 30 to 1. The competition will also feature five teams from Korea and Japan.

The writer is in Hyderabad at the Battlegrounds Mobile India Showdown 2026 on the invitation of Krafton

Published on Oct 20, 2026

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