Gaming
Esports tournament platform Gamerji launches operations in South East Asia
Mumbai: After receiving a remarkable response from India and MENA region, India’s leading esports tournament platform Gamerji today announced the launch of its operations in the South East Asia market starting with Indonesia and Philippines.
Southeast Asia stands as the epicentre of esports, experiencing rapid growth driven by several key factors. Advancements in gaming hardware, robust internet infrastructure, and cutting-edge streaming technology that have collectively elevated the gaming experience.
Ahmedabad headquartered esports company Gamerji has gone live with 8 game titles including PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, MLBB, Valorant, Clash Royale, CS:GO, Rocket League & FIFA. New users get virtual currency & a free 3 day subscription on joining as a welcome offer. Gamerji can be accessed via its website & also available on Android & iOS stores. The company plans to add 1M users from the South East Asia region over the next 12 months.
Founded in 2019, by gaming expert and serial entrepreneur, Soham Thacker, Gamerji aims to bridge the gap between amateur and professional gamers by providing them with a credible platform to further hone their skills. The company allows gamers to compete, host matches, communicate & get recognised for their gaming skills. Gamerji hosts over 500 tournaments on a daily basis with active participation from avid gamers from India and MENA. The Company has a registered user base of over 10.8 million and aims to cross 20 million in the next 12 months.
Gamerji CEO & founder Soham Thacker says, “As esports continues its exponential growth, gaining recognition globally from esteemed Olympic councils to governments, educational institutions, brands, and industries, Gamerji is committed to enhancing its presence in SEA markets which has been witnessing the soaring popularity of esports. Our aim is to offer a comprehensive experience, where gamers can sharpen their skills through daily tournaments and enjoy a safe, fair, and exhilarating gaming environment, with rewards awaiting them.”
Since inception, Gamerji has grown exponentially. Last year, Gamerji raised $ 3 million in Pre Series A and started with its international expansion and launched operations in UAE & Saudi Arabia. Gamerji’s strategy is to build a large user base in India and cater to cross-border tournaments in other regions.
The gaming industry in Southeast Asia has seen remarkable growth, with projections indicating further expansion. According to Statista Research, the gaming industry is anticipated to hit USD 13.12 million in 2024, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.05% in the games segment. By 2028, the market volume is forecasted to soar to USD 17.88 million. Currently, user penetration stands at 40%, but it’s expected to skyrocket to 338.2 million people by 2028, marking a substantial 47% increase. The Southeast Asia esports market is poised to showcase a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.20% from 2024 to 2032. This growth trajectory underscores the region’s status as a dynamic hub for esports and highlights the significant opportunities it offers for players, enthusiasts, and industry stakeholders alike.
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.
