Gaming
Nodwin Gaming invests Eur eight million in Germany-based Freaks 4U Gaming
Mumbai: NODWIN Gaming International Pte. Ltd (NODWIN), a fully-owned subsidiary of premier gaming and esports company, NODWIN Gaming, today announced an investment of Eur eight million in Freaks 4U Gaming GmbH, a global full-service gaming and esports company, marking a significant financial endorsement in the global gaming industry.
With its convertible loan agreement of 3.6 million Euro initiated on 27 December 2023 now converted into equity, NODWIN has acquired additional shares of Freaks 4U Gaming with a contribution of 4.4 million Euro. The total investment of NODWIN in Freaks 4U Gaming stands at 8 million euros for a 13.51 per cent stake in the company. NODWIN also has the option to acquire majority control in the future by swapping the equity of Freaks 4U Gaming investors and founders with NODWIN shares.
As part of this agreement, NODWIN and Freaks 4U Gaming will exclusively start utilizing resources in each other’s key territories such as personnel, equipment and facilities. NODWIN will get access to the Freaks 4U Gaming network across the developed markets, the PC ecosystem and the full-service capabilities they have. Freaks 4U Gaming in turn will get access to NODWIN ’s emerging market network, and facility capabilities in the mobile esports and youth culture ecosystems. NODWIN will appoint Niels Wolter to the Freaks 4U Gaming advisory board to consult on strategy, operations and integration, ensuring the synergy benefits identified by NODWIN and Freaks 4U Gaming are realised on time.
Freaks 4U Gaming CEO Michael Haenisch commented: “Under Akshat’s leadership, NODWIN has become a force to be reckoned with in the emerging market and the global landscape of gaming and esports. I am excited to be working alongside Akshat and his team, as we further our discussions on how Freaks and NODWIN will collaborate and grow together in this strategic alliance.”
NODWIN Gaming co-founder Akshat Rathee commented: “Our collaborative journey with Freaks is growing stronger, especially in the realms of PC and mobile gaming. We hold continuous admiration for the team at Freaks as we jointly explore new avenues for cooperation. This financial contribution is a testament to our unwavering commitment to advancing together on this shared venture.”
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.
