Krafton India Awards second edition to be held in Goa in January 2027. 1 Nov 2026, 3:44 PM IST 3 min. read The second edition of the KRAFTON India Awards will be held in Goa in January 2027. KRAFTON India announced it live on stage at the BGMI International Cup (BMIC) 2026 in Mumbai, right after the 15th match of the tournament. It moves KRAFTON India's own gaming awards out of Mumbai, one year after the inaugural ceremony at JW Marriott, Juhu. Here is everything confirmed so far, what Talkesport can expect based on the first edition, and what is still to be announced. When and where are the KRAFTON India Awards 2027? The second KRAFTON India Awards ceremony is set for January 2027 in Goa. KRAFTON India has not yet shared the exact date, venue, presenting partner or category list. The publisher only confirmed the month and the state during the on-stage reveal at BMIC 2026. - Advertisement - The timing matches the first edition. That ceremony took place in early January too, which suggests KRAFTON India wants the awards to work as a season-ending celebration for the previous year of BGMI esports and content. How was the announcement made at BMIC 2026? The reveal came on the main stage at the Dome, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Indoor Stadium in Mumbai, after the 15th match of BMIC 2026. It went out live on the tournament broadcast. It also follows a pattern. The inaugural awards were first revealed at BMIC 2025 in New Delhi, when KRAFTON India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn unveiled them alongside the 2026 BGMI esports roadmap. BMIC has now become the stage where KRAFTON India talks about the year ahead. BMIC 2026 itself runs from October 30 to November 1, 2026, with 16 teams from India, South Korea and Japan fighting for a ₹1 crore prize pool and two PMGC 2026 slots. You can follow the full field in its BMIC 2026 rosters and qualifiers list and the BMIC 2026 prize pool breakdown. Why is KRAFTON moving the awards from Mumbai to Goa? KRAFTON India has not given a reason for the switch. Goa is a natural fit for a destination-style event, though, and it is not new territory for the publisher's marketing team. KRAFTON India picked up several creative honours for its BGMI campaigns at the Abby Awards, a festival that has been held in Goa. Goa also has a direct link to the first edition's biggest winner. Jonathan Amaral, who won three titles at the inaugural ceremony, was born in Verna, Goa. What happened at the first KRAFTON India Awards? The first KRAFTON India Awards were held on January 9, 2026, in Mumbai as an invite-only event. iQOO was the presenting partner and Flipkart was the co-powering partner. The show was live-streamed inside BGMI and on YouTube. * Esports * Influencers (creators and streamers) * Media * CSR * KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) Winners were picked through a dual model that combined jury selections with community voting. Jonathan was the standout name of the night, winning Influencer of the Year along with the fan-voted Favourite Creator of the Year (Male) and Favourite Esports Player of the Year awards. Its full KRAFTON India Awards 2025 winners list has every category, and the nominations and categories post shows who was in the running. First edition vs second edition: what Talkesport know. Talkesport put the two editions side by side so you can see what is confirmed and what is still open. One thing worth noting from its own timeline: the first edition's nominations and fan voting opened on November 26, 2025, roughly six weeks before the ceremony. If KRAFTON India follows the same gap, nominations for the Goa edition could arrive in late November or early December 2026. That is its estimate, not a confirmed date. Who could be in contention this time? The 2026 BGMI season gives the jury plenty to work with. Team SouL won BMSD 2026 and reached BMIC 2026 as India's top seed, alongside Gladiators Esports, 8Bit, K9 Esports, Blitz and Team Outrage. Results from BMIC 2026 itself will also be fresh in voters' minds, since the final day lands only weeks before the nominations window would likely open. On the creator side, expect the usual big BGMI names to return, but KRAFTON India has not said whether the category list will change. Talkesport will update this post once nominations are out. - Advertisement - Pranav Nalawade, Editor-in-Chief at TalkEsport, plays a big part in the platform's success. People know him as the "Doer of Things." He manages different parts of the publication. He also provides expert insights into Esports and gaming.

GDAI gears up to host India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) 2026. Powered by ELCOT in partnership with Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON India and Tencent, the 18th edition of IGDC focuses on championing indie game development and convening the gaming ecosystem in Chennai. The India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) organised by the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI), India's apex industry body for game development, will return for its 18th edition from 28 to 31 October at the Chennai Trade Centre. The four-day conference, powered by ELCOT in partnership with Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON India and Tencent, will champion indie game development and bring together developers, publishers, investors and other stakeholders from across the gaming ecosystem. IGDC is the country's most prominent platform that brings together leading figures from the global and Indian gaming economy underscoring India's emergence as a billion-dollar gaming powerhouse. Over its 17 editions, IGDC has served as the epicentre of India's game development ecosystem, connecting creators, studios, investors, and publishers. The 2026 edition is expected to draw more than 10,000 attendees and over 90 speakers, featuring a vibrant expo of global and indie innovators. With India's gaming sector projected to reach $2.4 Billion in revenue by 2029 and a gamer community exceeding 550 million, the 18th edition builds on GDAI's mission to expand innovation, access and opportunity across the country. At its core, the conference aims to give independent developers the ecosystem and connections they need to move from making games to building sustainable, globally ambitious businesses. What to expect? The first two days of the 2026 edition will feature an exceptional line-up of global voices from the video gaming world, including experts in technology, design, investing, publishing, and education. From spotlighting 60 exceptional indie developers and studios to celebrating women shaping the future of games, the 18th edition of IGDC will feature a range of initiatives designed to support indie game developers and foster industry connections. These include Investor-Publisher (IP) Connect, with 32 participating organisations and more expected to join, including global publishers Devolver Digital, Headup, Voodoo, Miniclip and KRAFTON, alongside Indian gaming companies Nazara Technologies and Felicity Games, and investors such as Makers Fund, Lumikai, Elevation and Prime Venture Partners. IP Connect meetings will further facilitate business matchmaking between studios, publishers and investors. For the final two days, IGDC Playground opens the event to players and creators, who can try original games from Indian studios and meet the teams behind them. Sridhar Muppidi, Chairperson, Game Developers Association of India (GDAI) said, "GDAI has worked to turn individual talent into a national industry, opening business opportunities for studios, training the next generation of developers and working with the government on policies that support game development. IGDC is where that work comes together, the platform where developers, publishers, investors and technology partners have met across 18 editions to build the industry. This year, with 60 indie studios on the showcase and two days open to the public, we are taking Indian games to a much wider audience." The return to Chennai follows the 2025 edition at which the Tamil Nadu government signed memoranda of understanding with Nazara Technologies, Lakshya Digital and Reliance Games, signalling long-term commitments to game development in the state. Thiru B Vishnu Chandran, IAS, Managing Director, Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (ELCOT) said, "We are happy to welcome IGDC back to Chennai for the second consecutive year. The animation, visual effects, gaming and comics sector is central to Tamil Nadu's vision for the creative economy. We are committed to nurturing local talent, encouraging innovation and helping businesses grow. We invite Indian and global companies to invest, collaborate and build from Tamil Nadu, and IGDC is the ideal platform to showcase the State's potential as a gaming hub"

EXCLUSIVE: KRAFTON India unveils BATTLIN esports app with INR 20 lakh tournament and BGIS 2027 slot. 16 Oct 2026, 11:10 AM IST 2 min. read KRAFTON India has unveiled BATTLIN, a new competitive gaming platform, during its esports press conference held on October 16, 2026, in Hyderabad. The platform is set to launch alongside the BGMI Showdown (BMSD) 2026 Grand Finals and will introduce a new tournament called BATTLIN Open Season 1. According to the presentation attended by TalkEsport, BATTLIN Open Season 1 will feature a INR 20 lakh prize pool, with the winning team also earning a direct slot in BGIS 2027. The tournament is scheduled to take place from November 2 to November 29, 2026. - Advertisement - The announcement is an important development for India's BGMI esports ecosystem, as BATTLIN aims to provide another competitive opportunity for players looking to enter major tournaments. What is BATTLIN? BATTLIN is a new competitive gaming platform presented at KRAFTON India's esports press conference in Hyderabad. The platform is being introduced alongside BMSD 2026, with BATTLIN Open Season 1 announced as its first official tournament. Rather than being limited to a single competition, the announcement positions BATTLIN as a platform through which players can participate in organised esports events and work towards bigger competitive opportunities. One of its biggest attractions is the direct qualification opportunity for BGIS 2027. The presentation used the message "Recognition That Travels," highlighting the connection between the platform's first tournament and the wider BGMI esports circuit. BATTLIN Open Season 1 dates and prize pool. BATTLIN Open Season 1 is scheduled to begin on November 2 and conclude on November 29, 2026. Here are the details revealed during the presentation: The ₹20 lakh prize pool is a major attraction for the first season, especially for teams looking for additional competitive opportunities outside the regular BGMI esports calendar. BATTLIN Open Season 1 winner to receive direct BGIS 2027 slot. One of the biggest announcements was that the winning team of BATTLIN Open Season 1 will receive one direct slot in BGIS 2027. This means the tournament will offer more than prize money. Its champion will also earn a qualification opportunity in one of India's biggest BGMI esports competitions. The promotional material shown at the event also highlighted the message "Grind for Glory" and mentioned a Find Players/Squad feature. This suggests that BATTLIN is being designed not only for tournaments but also to help players find teammates and build squads. However, the presentation did not clearly establish the exact BGIS 2027 stage that the winning team will enter. How will the BATTLIN app work? BATTLIN is a platform focused on competitive gaming and tournament participation. The Find Players/Squad feature suggests that players will be able to discover teammates rather than needing to enter every competition with an existing squad. The detailed registration process, supported devices, eligibility requirements, and tournament format have not yet been fully established from the presentation material. What does BATTLIN mean for indian BGMI esports? The new platform could provide an additional opportunity for aspiring BGMI players to enter competitive esports. For teams that are not yet established in the professional circuit, a tournament with a INR 20 lakh prize pool and a BGIS 2027 qualification reward could offer a valuable competitive pathway. BATTLIN Open Season 1 will begin on November 2, following its October 16 unveiling at BMSD 2026. More details about the platform and its first tournament are expected as registrations and competition preparations progress. More on BGMI. - Advertisement - Aditya Parsutkar is an experienced esports and gaming journalist and currently serves as the Mobile Gaming and Esports Editor at TalkEsport. With over four years in the industry, he has built a strong reputation for delivering timely news, detailed tournament coverage, and insightful analysis across the gaming ecosystem. Before joining TalkEsport, he contributed to prominent media outlets including SportsTiger, InsideSport, and Sportskeeda, where he covered major national and international esports events. His expertise lies in mobile esports, competitive gaming trends, and in-depth editorial coverage of the rapidly growing esports industry. As an editor, Aditya focuses on maintaining high editorial standards, accuracy, and engaging storytelling while leading comprehensive coverage of the gaming and esports space.