Gaming
What initiatives can fantasy gaming platforms take to promote inclusivity and diversity within their fan communities?
Mumbai: Diversity and inclusion are not merely catchphrases in the vast virtual world of games; they are key factors influencing it. Diversity encompasses a range of human experiences that include gender, colour, culture, and other aspects beyond narratives and characters. Furthermore, by ensuring inclusivity, gaming spaces are made accessible and open to everyone. Thus, the substantial impact of diversity and inclusion on gaming extends to improving game quality and originality while also increasing player pleasure, engagement, and loyalty.
The goal of creating immersive environments that honour diversity becomes increasingly important as we venture deeper into the domain of fantasy games. Thus, in order to develop immersive worlds that embrace diversity and inclusivity as well as enhance both the gaming experience and the lively communities that inhabit these digital domains, exploring initiatives becomes imperative. According to Mordor Intelligence, with a projected size of $32.75 billion in 2024 and a projected growth rate of 13.83% during the forecast period (2024–2029), the fantasy sports market is predicted to reach $62.58 billion by 2029.
Here’s a look at the initiatives that can be undertaken to promote inclusivity and diversity within these virtual worlds-
Know your audience: Finding out who your audience is and what they want is the first step towards promoting diversity and inclusion in the gaming sector. The gaming industry is a complex and dynamic sector that attracts gamers of all ages, genders, races, cultures, talents, tastes, and expectations. You can learn a lot about the requirements, goals, and challenges of your audience by using analytics, feedback, surveys, and research. Equipped with this understanding, you can tailor your games to suit their tastes. Furthermore, you can employ this data as a tool to find and address any biases or gaps in the accessibility, representation, and involvement of your diverse audience.
Engage and retain a diverse workforce: Seeking and retaining a diverse workforce is the second essential step in improving diversity and inclusion in the gaming industry. The majority of professionals in the field today are white, male, and cisgender, which unintentionally limits the range of viewpoints, creativity, and innovation. Thus, prioritizing the hiring and retention of diverse talent allows for access to a wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences from people with different backgrounds, identities, and specializations. This strategic approach not only benefits the sector but also fosters a more welcoming and encouraging workplace where each team member truly feels appreciated and empowered. Achieving this requires creating transparent and fair recruitment, promotion, and remuneration rules, as well as providing important training, mentorship, and networking opportunities for the diverse members of the staff.
Collaborate and co-create: In order to promote diversity and inclusion in the game industry, co-creation and cooperation are the third and most important stages. Understanding how the gaming industry interacts with other industries, communities, and sectors is essential given how interconnected the industry is. Through proactive involvement with various stakeholders, including academics, media, civil society, and government, one can effectively leverage a wide array of resources, knowledge, and power to advance the cause of diversity and inclusion in the game industry. In addition, including your audience in the stages of game design, development, and testing guarantees that your creations are in line with their tastes and demands. It also fosters a collaborative environment where their input is respected and taken into consideration.
Educate and advocate: The fourth integral measure to advance diversity and inclusion in the game industry entails an active commitment to education and advocacy. Recognising that the gaming industry is not a passive entity but a potent force shaping and being shaped by culture, society, and politics, it becomes imperative to champion diversity and inclusion. Through robust education and advocacy efforts within the industry, one can elevate awareness, challenge prevailing stereotypes, and instigate transformative change among peers, partners, and consumers. Additionally, there is an opportunity to champion and amplify the voices and narratives of marginalized groups within the game industry, including women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, those with disabilities, and individuals hailing from low-income or underrepresented regions.
Embracing Diversity for a Brighter Future!
In the ever-expanding landscape of fantasy gaming, the journey towards inclusivity and diversity is a collective effort. By implementing these initiatives, fantasy gaming platforms can transcend virtual boundaries and create communities that are reflective of the diverse world we inhabit. Together, developers, players, and enthusiasts can build a gaming ecosystem that embraces everyone, ensuring that the magic of fantasy gaming is truly for all.
The author of the article is Super4 founder Rohit Bansal.
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.
