After Parliament passed and the President assented to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which bans real-money online games, Mobile Premier League (MPL) announced a staggering 60% layoff of its India workforce (about 300 of 500 employees). CEO Sai Srinivas confirmed the company's Indian revenue stream has vanished. Rival platforms such as Dream11 also ceased paid gaming operations, while the esports sector sources report thousands more job losses. (@ReutersIndia, @EconomicTimes, @GamingAmigos)
Teams across engineering, marketing, legal, and operations woke up to mass layoffs based on a regulatory shift—not snowy quarters. Young engineers and support staff, whose daily motivation came from product growth, now grapple with existential questions: "What will I do next?" The shock isn't just personal—it ripples across talent pipelines. HR professionals are tasked with managing both emotional fallout and friction with investors. Offering career transition services, counseling, and transparent communication becomes urgent—and human.
The new Act marks a seismic shift. Platforms must now pivot from paid contests to skill or entertainment-only models. HR and legal teams must understand definitions within the Gaming Act, audit employee exposure, and restructure staffing. Compliance isn’t just regulatory—it’s reputational: language decisions, layoffs, and alumni relations serve as proof of ethical response. Boards should define transition protocols for sector shocks, including credible communication and reskilling support.
What’s one simple way HR should support staff when a regulation wipes out your business line?
If your product got banned overnight, what’s the first HR move you'd want in place?
Teams across engineering, marketing, legal, and operations woke up to mass layoffs based on a regulatory shift—not snowy quarters. Young engineers and support staff, whose daily motivation came from product growth, now grapple with existential questions: "What will I do next?" The shock isn't just personal—it ripples across talent pipelines. HR professionals are tasked with managing both emotional fallout and friction with investors. Offering career transition services, counseling, and transparent communication becomes urgent—and human.
The new Act marks a seismic shift. Platforms must now pivot from paid contests to skill or entertainment-only models. HR and legal teams must understand definitions within the Gaming Act, audit employee exposure, and restructure staffing. Compliance isn’t just regulatory—it’s reputational: language decisions, layoffs, and alumni relations serve as proof of ethical response. Boards should define transition protocols for sector shocks, including credible communication and reskilling support.
What’s one simple way HR should support staff when a regulation wipes out your business line?
If your product got banned overnight, what’s the first HR move you'd want in place?
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