Gameskraft defies industry trend, pays three months’ advance salary instead of layoffs
The company revealed that it has launched an internal Ideathon, receiving over 300 ideas from employees on potential future directions for the business.
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India’s online gaming industry is witnessing a wave of layoffs, with major players Mobile Premier League (MPL), Games24x7, and Moonshine Technologies letting go of hundreds of employees over the past two days. In sharp contrast, Bengaluru-based Gameskraft has taken a different route—choosing not to downsize its workforce. Instead, the company has extended three months’ salary in advance to all employees, in a bid to provide financial security and instill confidence during a period of regulatory uncertainty.
“The regulatory environment for India’s online gaming sector has undergone a fundamental reset recently. Any pivot will require time and adequate reflection. To ensure this, we as a company actioned three months’ advance salary to all Krafters (our employees). We believe when immediate concerns are taken care of, employees are able to focus on the bigger picture that will be reshaping our future as a company,” a Gameskraft spokesperson said in a statement.
Gameskraft has a workforce of around 600-700 employees working around multiple portfolios and functions. The company revealed that it has launched an internal Ideathon, receiving over 300 ideas from employees on potential future directions for the business. These suggestions, alongside other strategic inputs, are now being evaluated as the company considers its next pivot.
Gameskraft has a history of avoiding layoffs by redeploying staff into new initiatives. “In the past too, we have consistently avoided layoffs by creating internal opportunities through new and exciting projects. That principle continues to guide us as we navigate this evolving environment,” the spokesperson added.
This approach contrasts sharply with other industry peers. On Monday, Games24x7, the parent company of popular fantasy sports platform My11Circle, initiated large-scale layoffs, affecting nearly 400 employees. Industry insiders attribute the move to growing financial strain and an unsettled policy landscape that has disrupted revenue models across gaming firms.
Gameskraft, meanwhile, operated skill-based games, including Rummyculture and Playship, along with offerings like RummyPrime and Ludo Culture, which were spun off from its Gamezy super app. However, the company has also made strategic retreats, shutting down its fantasy sports product in September 2023 and later discontinuing Ludo Culture in September 2024. The company shut all its real money operations after the law was passed in the Parliament.
As the industry faces unprecedented challenges, Gameskraft’s employee-first policy stands out as a calculated bet on long-term stability. While competitors are cutting costs through layoffs, Gameskraft is banking on internal innovation and workforce confidence to steer the company through what many see as the most turbulent period in India’s online gaming history.
