Gaming
HeadFlicker, RusherwOw, and PitajiPlayz join forces to boost S8UL’s GTA RP roster
Mumbai: Leading esports and gaming organisation, S8UL announced the onboarding of top three gaming creators, Sunny Jha, Adil Maniar, and Arpit Wadhawan to spearhead the GTA RP (Grand Theft Auto Role-Play) roster. This strategic move will not only strengthen S8UL’s hold in promoting GTA RP; prioritising role-play, collaboration, and narrative-driven interactions among players and also revolutionising the multiplayer experience of “Grand Theft Auto V” and fostering the growth of the Grand Theft Auto role-play community in India.
Sunny Jha, also known as pitajiplayz, is a resilient figure in the streaming scene, who despite losing his original channel to hackers, bounced back stronger with a 15,000-strong subscriber base within just seven months and currently sitting at 60 thousand plus subscribers on his channel. His unique approach to GTA RP, combining humour with engaging gameplay, has made him a beloved figure in the community.
While, Adil Maniar, known online as rusherwow, started his career in esports with competitive games like CSGO and Fortnite before making a name for himself in GTA RP. With over 19 million views amassed over 1513 videos on his YouTube channel, Adil’s dedication to showcasing his competitive edge has captivated a steady following.
Arpit Wadhawan, operating under the gamertag headflicker, blends his analytical skills as a national chess player with creative roleplay storytelling. His engaging character narratives in GTA RP have propelled his channel to a rapid growth, resulting in over 50,000 dedicated followers on his YouTube.
S8UL co-founder Lokesh Jain aka 8Bit Goldy, commented on this integration, stating, “The addition of Sunny, Adil, and Arpit to S8UL is more than a natural extension of our already robust GTA roster. It’s a testament to S8UL’s commitment to nurturing and promoting top-tier talent within India’s gaming landscape. Their dedication to delivering an excitement packed live stream experience align perfectly with our vision to expand and enrich the GTA RP community with meaningful narrative and quality storytelling.”
Since its launch in 2013, GTA V has sold over 190 million units worldwide as of November 2023, making it the second best-selling video game of all time. In December 2023, its user engagement reached 30.8 million monthly active users across PCs and consoles, following the release of its highly anticipated sequel.
The GTA series has been a game-changer for the Indian gaming landscape and it has helped build the careers of streamers within the country. SoulCity RP, S8UL’s dedicated GTA V RP server, has been instrumental in fostering this vibrant community and bringing a more interactive experience to engage with the streamers.
Arpit Wadhawan aka headflicker expressed his happiness on being part of S8UL’s dynamic roster said, “For a 21-year-old national chess player from Ferozpur, Punjab and having four years of role-play experience, joining S8UL feels like the perfect next move in my gaming career. Stepping into the vibrant world of GTA RP has opened up a new avenue for me, offering a platform where I can elevate the gaming experience for fans. With S8UL, I’m excited to bring my thoughtful approach to an even larger stage, where we can push the boundaries of what’s possible in role-play games together.”
The integration of Sunny, Adil, and Arpit into S8UL’s roster is expected to further enhance the server’s popularity and attract a wider audience, thereby reinforcing S8UL’s role as a pioneer in the gaming industry in the country.
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.
