Mahesh Babu invests in Mumbai gaming startup Shortgun Games

Investment details

Actor and investor Mahesh Babu has acquired a minority stake in Mumbai-based gaming startup Shortgun Games, marking his first investment in the video game development sector. The financial terms of the deal, including the investment amount and the percentage of equity acquired, remain undisclosed.

Shortgun Games previously raised $1 million in seed funding in August 2025 from a group of angel investors and a family office. The funds were allocated toward developing a minimum viable product and scaling the team.

While the company had plans to raise an additional $5 million to transition Project Takedown from a polished prototype to full-scale production, there is no confirmation that this round has been completed.

The studio and its flagship game

Shortgun Games was founded in 2022 by Jeet Chandan and Vidhit Mehta. The studio initially focused on Web3 and mobile games but pivoted to PC and console development in 2024, aiming to create original intellectual properties for global audiences.

Its flagship project, Project Takedown, is an action-adventure game set in a near-future Mumbai. The game is designed for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with an expected playtime of 10 to 15 hours. The studio targets a late 2028 release.

Action director Vicky Arora is leading the game’s combat design, including motion-capture and choreography. The team is also developing Roll ‘em Out, an independent cooperative adventure game.

Why the investment matters

Mahesh Babu’s involvement extends beyond capital. His participation is intended to strengthen the studio’s technical capabilities and support the development of high-quality gaming intellectual properties for international markets, including the US, Europe, and Japan.

The studio’s shift toward console and PC gaming reflects a broader trend in India’s gaming industry, where developers are increasingly targeting global audiences rather than limiting themselves to mobile or regional markets.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

Mahesh Babu’s investment in Shortgun Games signals growing interest from high-profile investors in India’s gaming sector, particularly for studios aiming beyond mobile and Web3. For founders and operators, this highlights two opportunities: first, the expanding appetite for internationally competitive PC and console games developed in India; second, the potential for entertainment industry crossovers to attract both capital and attention. The startup’s focus on a near-future Mumbai setting for Project Takedown also suggests a playbook for leveraging local narratives in ways that resonate globally—a strategy other studios in India and beyond may consider.

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