Gaming
WWE superstars to enter Clash of Clans through April
MUMBAI: WWE and Supercell’s Clash of Clans are throwing down the gauntlet, announcing a partnership that’s set to turn April into a digital wrestling ring. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, The Undertaker, Bianca Belair, and a posse of other WWE heavyweights are leaping into the Clash of Clans arena, reimagined as iconic in-game characters.
This isn’t just a fleeting cameo; it’s a full-blown invasion. Clash of Clans is getting a WWE makeover, complete with themed environments, gameplay events, cosmetics, and Easter Eggs that pay homage to WWE’s rich legacy. And leading the charge is Rhodes, a self-confessed Clash of Clans aficionado, who’s being reborn as the Barbarian King.
Rhodes, under his OverlordRhodes player handle, isn’t just a digital character; he’s a digital despot. He stars in the live-action launch video, showcasing a gameplay style built on villainous destruction and a healthy dose of digital domination.
The WWE Superstar roster getting the Clash of Clans treatment includes:
* Rhea Ripley as Archer Queen
* The Undertaker as Grand Warden
* Bianca Belair as Royal Champion
* Rey Mysterio as Minion Prince
* Kane as P.E.K.K.A
* Becky Lynch as Valkyrie
* Jey Uso as Thrower
“I’ve spent years building my legacy in WWE, but it’s time for fans to know where I’ve landed most of my victories, in Clash of Clans,” Rhodes declared. “As OverlordRhodes, I don’t defend, I conquer. Villages will fall, and any opposition will be crushed under my command. This isn’t about playing fair in the ring, it’s about ruling the battlefield. Just like at WrestleMania 41, I’m stepping in with one goal – absolute victory. I’ve waited a long time for this moment, and now that I’ve arrived, there’s no stopping me.”
Supercell head of live game Sara Bach revealed, “When the game team found out Cody Rhodes and other Superstars were long-time Clash of Clans fans, they didn’t hesitate to reach out to WWE. This partnership in Clash of Clans is on a scale we’ve never created before – from the in-game event reaching tens of millions of players, to WrestleMania 41 and our Clash of Clans match as a first-of-its-kind event on the biggest stage.”
In essence, WWE and Clash of Clans are teaming up for a digital rumble that’s set to shake up both worlds. It’s a cross-promotional knockout, promising a month of mayhem and a WrestleMania 41 showdown that’s sure to be a digital spectacle.
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.
