Nazara Technologies to publish nCore's upcoming made-in-India game FAU-G: Domination

(L-R) nCore co-founder Vishal Gondal; Nazara founder Nitish Mittersain; Dot9 Games co-founder Deepak Ail

Nazara Technologies' publishing arm on June 26 announced a partnership with gaming veteran Vishal Gondal's nCore to launch FAU-G: Domination, a made-in-India multiplayer shooter game.

This partnership marks a high-profile addition to the portfolio of Nazara Publishing, the fledgling publishing unit of Nazara Technologies, a diversified gaming and sports media company.

FAU-G: Domination is the latest title from the FAU-G franchise that has garnered nearly 50 million downloads till date. The title will be marketed and distributed by Nazara Publishing with pre-registrations opening on Google Play and the App Store later this year.

"Made-in-India games have a huge potential to address the growing needs of the Indian gamer with locally relevant content, and we are excited to partner with nCore to bring FAU-G: Domination to all our players," said Nitish Mittersain, founder of Nazara Technologies, in a statement.

The shooter game, developed by nCore-backed gaming studio Dot9 Studios, features modern-day military aesthetics with Indian characters, each with unique backstories. It is a 5v5 multiplayer shooter game, which means two teams of five players compete against each other in a shooting match.

The multiplayer shooter game, developed by nCore-backed gaming studio Dot9 Studios, features modern-day military aesthetics with Indian characters

The game will launch with multiple team and one-man-army modes. It will include various maps with diverse environments that reflect India's rich heritage, blending cultural pride with cutting-edge gameplay, the company said.

"FAU-G: Domination is our humble response to PM Modi's Make-in-India call, and we’re thankful that Nazara shares our vision to bring the best of India to the world. This signals India's arrival as a major player in the global gaming industry," nCore co-founder Vishal Gondal said in a statement.

FAU-G: Domination has been developed by Dot9 Games from the ground-up with a different engine, game tech, story, and multiplayer option, the studio said. Prior games in the FAU-G franchise were made by a different studio.

Deepak Ail, co-founder of Dot9 Games added “Gaming is for everyone, and FAU-G: Domination is our effort in making that a reality.”

Dot9 Games was established in 2021 by Ail, Srinivasan Veeraraghavan, Kaiwan Yezdani, and Prasad Ramdas, who have nearly two decades of expertise in building games.

The studio has developed titles such as 'Ram Setu - The Run', an endless runner game inspired by the Akshay Kumar-starrer film Ram Setu, and Apna Games, a casual gaming app that offers a collection of classic games such as Ludo, Carrom, and Cricket at a single destination.

Nazara launched its publishing unit in October 2023, in a bid to capitalise on India's rising potential as a global gaming hub. The company had stated plans to launch up to 20 games across mobile, web3, virtual reality (VR) and personal computer (PC) over the next 12-18 months and invest between Rs 1 crore and Rs 3 crore a game.

The platform offers game developers end-to-end solutions, including market access and distribution, marketing and promotion, monetisation strategies, localisation and culturalisation, and advanced analytics.

In December 2023, Nazara Publishing unveiled its first set of five games, ranging across various genres, from four Indian game studios. The company has also acquired exclusive rights to publish game titles from Israel-based Snax Games in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East region on a revenue-sharing basis for five years in August 2023.

Nazara earmarked a $100-million war chest for global expansion over the next 24 months in March 2024.