Highlights
- Krafton India announces nominees across 17 categories for the 2025 awards, with public voting now open through its official form.
- Industry models such as The Game Awards and the India Gaming Awards provide the closest reference for Krafton’s yet-to-be-disclosed selection and voting framework.
- India’s gaming sector continues to expand, having reached approximately $4.3B and 488M players in 2024, with projections of 517M players in 2025.
Krafton India has announced nominees across 17 categories for the Krafton India Awards 2025, scheduled for Jan. 9, 2026, in Mumbai. The list, released on Nov. 27, spans esports, influencers, media, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and early innovation under KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI). Public voting opened on Nov. 26 through Krafton’s official Google Form.
Presented by iQOO and co-powered by Flipkart, this marks Krafton’s first institutional awards platform recognizing creators, athletes, journalists, and community contributors. The initiative was introduced as part of Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn’s 2026 roadmap.
Esports categories cover athletes, rookies, in-game leaders, and broadcast talent, with nominees including TR Jelly, VXT Saumraj, FS Levi, Soul Thunder, and Ankibot. Fan-choice groups highlight well-known names such as GodL Jonathan, Soul Goblin, Soul Nakul, and GodL Admino.
Influencer categories feature some of India’s most visible creators, including Mortal, Scout, Snax, Shreeman Legend, and Mamba. Female creator finalists include Kaashvi, Payal, and Mizo.
How Global Gaming Award Systems Define Eligibility and Voting
Krafton has not disclosed its eligibility rules, jury structure, or the voting model for the Krafton India Awards 2025. With no formal details available, established award systems offer the closest point of reference.
The Game Awards, the industry’s largest platform, follows a strict annual eligibility window and selects nominees through an international jury of more than 100 media and influencer outlets. Specialized juries evaluate esports and technical categories, and winners are chosen through a blended vote of 90% jury scoring and 10% public voting.
This model explains results where jury evaluation outweighs fan strength, such as S8UL winning Esports Content Group of the Year for the fourth time over GodLike.
The India Gaming Awards use a structured format as well. Nominations for January to December of a particular year are selected by the IWMBuzz editorial team, with categories divided into Jury, Popular, and Editorial.
Popular awards rely on registered voter polling, while jury awards are evaluated by an appointed committee, and editorial selections recognize notable contributions.
Based on these industry standards, the Krafton India Awards may adopt a similar mix of eligibility checks, expert evaluation, and community participation once its framework is announced. This approach aligns with India’s expanding gaming landscape, which reached about $4.3B and 488M players in 2024, with projections of 517M players in 2025.
