BGMI Franchise League 2025 Reportedly Cancelled Due to Lack of Franchise Buyers

The much-anticipated BGMI Franchise League, originally planned to kick off in September 2025, has reportedly been cancelled.

BGMI Franchise League 2025 (Image Credit: Krafton India)

Krafton India had announced the league—also referred to as the BGMI Champions League—back in June 2025. The vision was to bring long-term structure to the Indian BGMI scene through a franchising model, where teams would not need to qualify repeatedly through open tournaments. Similar to other global esports leagues like the Call of Duty League or Overwatch League, this system allows organizations to buy permanent slots and build sustainable brands.

The BGMI league was expected to feature between 16 to 24 teams, with franchise slots being auctioned to celebrities and corporate backers. Think IPL-style ownership—where names like Shah Rukh Khan or business tycoons like Mukesh Ambani could have been at the forefront. The idea was to blend entertainment, competition, and commercial viability in one ambitious esports package.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. As per a report by LetsgoSports, around 3–4 of the proposed team slots failed to attract any buyers. This left a few key slots vacant, and without a full roster of franchises, Krafton reportedly had to cancel the 2025 edition altogether.

Interestingly, this development contrasts with recent remarks made by Sohn Hyunil Sohn, CEO of Krafton India. In a July interview with The Economic Times, Sohn had suggested an announcement was imminent. “We may be ready to share our complete approach, maybe in one or two months,” he stated while emphasizing that Krafton was actively working to standardize operations and sponsorship models across BGMI’s competitive ecosystem.

Sohn added that the broader aim was to create a structure where “all participants in the ecosystem will share both financial and operational burdens and share the commercial upsides in a fair manner.” While no exact timeline was provided, his tone hinted at optimism.

So, is this the end of the road for the BGMI Franchise League? Not quite. Reports indicate the tournament might be pushed to 2026, giving Krafton more time to secure franchise buyers and refine the format. Although no official statement has been issued yet, fans remain hopeful that the dream league isn’t entirely off the table.

Meanwhile, to keep the competitive scene alive, BGMS 2025 is gearing up for its August launch. There’s also speculation that Krafton might organize another large-scale event, possibly "BGMI Showdown," to fill the void left by the cancelled franchise league.