Mobile Premier League launches new studio to build big-budget games

Esports and skill gaming app Mobile Premier League (MPL) on May 5 launched a gaming studio called Mayhem Studios to develop 'AAA mobile games' for domestic and global markets. AAA Games are typically video game titles that have big budgets for both development and marketing purposes.

Mayhem Studio will operate as a subsidiary of MPL and will comprise a team of professionals in the area of animation, art, cinematics, design, engineering, UI and UX game design, and game production, the company said in a statement.

The studio will be headquartered in Bengaluru and will be helmed by Ojas Vipat as CEO. Vipat previously worked in MPL's product team for about a year and a half, as per his LinkedIn profile. He has also had stints at Tencent, Junglee Games, and DailyHunt among others.

"Mayhem Studios will be focused on developing games that all gamers can relate to and enjoy the best-in-class gaming experience. Setting up such a state-of-the-art studio is the first major step towards the development of many AAA mobile game titles from India for the global markets and we are on the right track," said Ojas Vipat, CEO, Mayhem Studios.

MPL said the studio will work on multiple esports and other game titles but didn't disclose any specific details.

“India has the potential to become a gaming hub of the world. It is imperative to create the requisite infrastructure for making world-class games to help achieve the country’s vision to make the Indian digital gaming sector a world leader. Mayhem Studios launch is our first contribution towards achieving this vision” said Sai Srinivas, Co-founder, and CEO at MPL.

Started in 2018 by Srinivas and Shubh Malhotra, MPL offers over 70 games across categories such as daily fantasy sports, quizzing, board games, esports, and casual games on its Android and iOS apps.

It claims to have over 90 million users across India, Indonesia, Europe, and the United States. The company says it has tie-ups with multiple gaming studios and developer partners that publish games on its platform.

The startup was valued at $2.3 billion after raising a reported $150 million in September last year, which also marked its entry into the unicorn club.

In February 2022, MPL also acquired Germany-based GameDuell to foray into the mobile free-to-play (F2P) gaming segment. GameDuell offers more than 40 casual online skill games including community card and board games in seven languages.