Gaming
Nazara Technologies launches ‘Bang Bang’ mobile game
MUMBAI: Nazara Technologies, one of the leading mobile game developer and publisher, has launched a game based on the much anticipated action romance of the year ‘Bang Bang’ releasing on 2 October. The game was officially launched by actor Hrithik Roshan in the presence of Nazara Technologies CEO Nitish Mittersain.
The third-person action adventure game features both the lead actors and follows the storyline of the film, where the protagonists Rajveer (Hrithik Roshan) and Harleen (Katrina Kaif) fight the enemy to retain the Kohinoor, the world’s most expensive diamond, stolen by Rajveer. The game is available to download for free on the Google Play store and soon it will be available on all other major stores too.
Mittersain said, “India has witnessed an unprecedented surge in subscribers using internet on mobiles with the number crossing 100 million last year. This clearly makes it one of the largest and most effective medium for brands to reach out to consumers, or fans in the case of movies.” He further added, “Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif are undoubtedly among the top actors in the country today, in fact they have gone beyond being just actors and are brands in themselves. This initiative will allow fans to step into Hrithik and Katrina’s shoes, giving them an opportunity to get closer to their favourite stars.”
Fox Star Studios chief marketing officer Shikha Kapur added, “Bang Bang is an action entertainer like no other. It’s replete with thrilling chases and audacious stunts that will be a first for Indian audiences. It gives us great pleasure to translate some of this action of the film to the mobile screen in the form of the Bang Bang mobile game. This is our endeavour to give users a taste of the thrill and adventure of the film through engaging gameplay and vibrant graphics. As a studio, we have always believed in the expansion of platforms so that our content reaches out to maximum users in varied ways, and bringing the Bang Bang game to the mobile screen, fits right into our strategy.”
The mobile gaming industry is at an inflection point and according to a report by KPMG and FICCI, it is expected to touch Rs 19.6 billion by 2018 largely due to the growing smartphone market in India and the improved connectivity offered by telecom operators. The Indian film industry too has been growing at a phenomenal pace with multiple films breaking the Rs 100 crore barrier over the last couple of years. Given these two factors, movie-based mobile gaming should be an exciting space to watch out for.
Gaming
Dream Sports sees 100 plus exits after gaming ban forces overhaul
Company splits into eight units as real money gaming law hits revenue.
MUMBAI: For a company built on fantasy leagues, reality has suddenly rewritten the rulebook. More than 100 employees have exited Dream Sports, the parent of Dream11, after the company reorganised its operations following India’s ban on real money online gaming. The shake up came after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 came into force in August 2025, prohibiting games where users deposit money expecting winnings. The regulation struck at the heart of the fantasy gaming industry and dramatically affected Dream Sports’ core business, wiping out about 95 percent of its revenue and all of its profits.
In response, the Mumbai based company shifted into what chief executive officer Harsh Jain described as “startup mode”, splitting its operations into eight independent business units in December.
Around 700 employees were reassigned across these newly formed ventures based on their experience and interests. However, roughly 15 percent opted to leave the company.
A spokesperson for Dream Sports said many of those who exited were experienced professionals accustomed to running scaled businesses rather than early stage ventures.
“Since some of these employees were experienced with running high scale businesses and not startups, around 15 percent chose to leave and join other scaled companies or start ventures of their own,” the spokesperson said.
Despite the departures, the company noted that the attrition rate is only slightly higher than its earlier level of around 10 percent before the ban. Dream Sports now has close to 950 employees and is not currently hiring, choosing instead to focus on stabilising its existing workforce.
The restructuring has transformed Dream Sports from a fantasy gaming company into a broader sports entertainment platform. The eight units now operate independently, each focusing on different segments of the sports and technology ecosystem.
These include Dream11, sports streaming platform Fancode, sports travel service DreamSetGo, mobile game Dream Cricket and artificial intelligence initiative Dream Sports AI, which includes sports analytics platform Dream Play.
Other ventures include fintech product Dream Money, open source initiative Dream Horizon and the philanthropic arm Dream Sports Foundation.
As part of cost saving efforts, Dream Sports also relocated its headquarters from Bandra Kurla Complex to Worli earlier this year. The new office, called Dream Sports Stadium, brings teams from its various brands together under one roof to improve collaboration and operational efficiency.
Jain had earlier said the company removed bonus lock in timelines for employees hired in recent years, allowing those who wished to leave to exit with pro rata payouts.
“We want people who are fully into the startup mode and willing to work for it, and we will share that reward if it comes,” he said.
Founded in 2008 by Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth, Dream Sports was last valued at 8 billion dollars after raising 840 million dollars in 2021 from investors including Falcon Edge Capital, DST Global, D1 Capital Partners, RedBird Capital Partners, Tiger Global Management, TPG and Footpath Ventures.
The new gaming law has forced several companies in the fantasy gaming sector to either shut down or pivot their business models, signalling a significant reset for one of India’s fastest growing digital entertainment industries.
