Founder and CEO Kavin Bharti Mittal has announced the global shutdown of Hike, a popular gaming and messaging app. The announcement came through a LinkedIn post on September 13, where Mittal wrote, “After regrouping with our investors and the team, I’ve made the difficult decision to wind down Hike completely.”
Why did Mittal decide to shut down Hike?
Hike was initially launched as a messaging app in 2012, which later pivoted to real-money gaming with its primary platform, Rush. Citing 13 successful years of operation, Mittal said the reason for the shutdown of the app was due to the recent ban on online real-money gaming apps imposed by the Indian government. “Our US business, launched just nine months ago, is off to a strong start. But after the India ban, scaling globally would require a full recap, a reset that is not the best use of capital or time”, the LinkedIn post read.
India’s Parliament recently passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill on August 21, 2025, to curb addiction, financial ruin and social distress caused by predatory gaming platforms that thrive on misleading promises of quick wealth.
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Mittal also questioned in his post whether raising capital to pivot Hike was worth the effort or not. “The Big Question → We could raise the capital, but the real question is: is it worth it? Is this a climb worth pivoting for? For the first time in 13 years, my answer is no. Not for me, not for my team, and not for our investors.”, he said.
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“The Gaming Nation vision is real”
Mittal affirmed his vision of The Gaming Nation, blending gaming and Web3 technologies. He said, “The Gaming Nation vision is real, but we may be too early. The world will eventually move toward a Nation-type model in gaming and Web3 – Company 2.0. But crypto regulation is still developing globally, and we don’t want to repeat India, where we hoped for clarity that never came.”
Expressing his disappointment, Mittal said, “This is both a disappointment and a hard outcome. But I choose to look on the bright side: the learnings are invaluable, and my conviction for what’s next is even stronger.”
The CEO, however, thanked everyone who contributed to the success of Hike and said he will still continue to strive even if this chapter ends.
“To everyone who has been part of this journey – our users, our team, our investors, and our community – thank you. As a CEO, you’re only as strong as your team, and I want to give a special shout-out to mine – an incredible group of people who gave this everything Hike. This chapter ends, but the climb continues.”, he said.
