Gaming
Jabali.ai levels up with AI game studio launch
MUMBAI: Move over, joysticks, it’s time for genius sticks. Jabali.ai has rolled out Jabali Studio, a groundbreaking AI-powered platform that turns anyone with a spark of imagination into a game creator. Whether you fancy yourself the next Hideo Kojima or just want to dabble in digital storytelling, this platform promises to make game creation as easy as playing one.
Launched on 29 October 2025 in Mumbai, Jabali Studio blends art and algorithm, allowing users to design, build, and publish 2D and 3D games without wrestling with lines of code. The platform’s mission? To make game-making a playground for everyone, from pro developers to first-time creators.
Built around the belief that “everyone can be a game maker,” Jabali Studio offers two creative routes: vibe code for those who like to think in logic and mechanics, and design mode for the visually driven storytellers. What’s more, it plays nice with leading AI systems like Openai, Gemini, Claude, and Grok: meaning creators can collaborate with their favourite digital co-pilot.
“Game creation has long been limited by the complexity of tools and the need for large technical teams,” said Jabali.ai founder and CEO Vatsal Bhardwaj. “Jabali Studio changes that by combining AI, creativity, and accessibility in one environment. This is a step towards a future where game development is open, intuitive, and limitless.”
The platform also boasts smart features such as self-healing projects that fix broken builds automatically, AI-powered debugging, and intelligent publishing to Jabali.ai. Users can even choose how hands-on they want their AI assistant to be, with modes like Autonomous, Collaborative, Cautious, or Creative.
Compatible with engines like Godot and Phaser (and soon Unity and Unreal), Jabali Studio gives creators complete source code access, ensuring they maintain ownership while learning and experimenting freely.
Backed by 5 million dollars in seed funding from Bitkraft Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, and the Sony Innovation Fund, Jabali.ai is staking its claim as a global pioneer in AI-driven game creation.
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.
