When Hrishav Bhattacharjee, a dedicated gamer and esports enthusiast, started a platform to host esports competitions, WarMania, in 2018, little did he know that he would one day have a D2C clothing brand that would operate at the intersection of his passion for gaming and the country’s increasing demand for streetwear.
Nearly six years later, Bhattacharjee now owns and runs Rizzzed, a gaming-inspired streetwear D2C brand that offers a unique blend of graphics and designs reflecting the intensity and artistry of the gaming universe.
However, per the founder, this is just one of the many facets of the brand (Rizzzed) that takes inspiration from The Souled Store, a brand that germinated from its founders’ passion for pop culture.
Another interesting part of Bhattacharjee’s journey has been his connection with the founders of The Souled Store, who have supported the founder’s journey from behind the scenes.
The founder is in the process of signing term sheets with gaming publishers for 2 years. Once this is done, you may see Rizzzed’s founder making an appearance on Shark Tank India.
Now before we dive deeper into exploring the contours of the brand, here’s a look at Bhattacharjee journey to incorporating Rizzzed.
A Journey From WarMania To Rizzzed
Bhattacharjee’s quest began in 2018, when the Indian gaming sector got an overhaul with games like PUBG. Back then, the founder was 17 years old. Given his extreme knack for gaming, it was only natural for him to explore avenues aligned to his interests. Therefore, he joined GodLike, one of India’s top esports organisations, where he sharpened his skills and gained competitive experience.
However, after facing challenges with sponsorships and payments, he recognised a gap in the market for organised gaming tournaments in India, which led him to start WarMania.
“WarMania quickly emerged as a significant player in the Indian gaming landscape. Within just three months of launching the platform, we organised India’s first international third-party tournament, showcasing teams from 11 countries. This helped us garner substantial viewership, attracting around 80,000 subscribers,” Bhattacharjee said.
However, something was still missing and the founder was not satisfied. Even though Bhattacharjee generated significant revenues with WarMania, he decided to put the project on hold.
“Maybe, subconsciously, I wanted to create something that focussed on selling products rather than providing services,” the founder said.
And, as luck would have it, Bhattacharjee, who has a thing for T-shirts printed with gaming jargon or characters, made a small discovery.
“At gaming events, people would appreciate the collection of my T-shirts. It was then I realised that there was much demand for gaming-inspired garments but people do not know where to buy quality stuff from,” the founder said.
The very thought hit him, and that’s when he reached out to The Souled Store cofounders, Vedang Patel and Harsh Lal. Notably, Bhattacharjee has known them since his days of events.
The curious Bhattacharjee got validation when the already-established cofounders of The Souled Store concurred with his vision. “At the time, everyone was either doing Anime, Marvel or DC, and gaming was a new realm waiting to be broken into. And I could feel it in my bones,” the founder said.
So, with little knowledge of the textile industry, the founder made a leap of faith and spent most of 2022 doing extensive market research. In 2023, Bhattacharjee hired a few ex-senior designers of The Souled Store and launched Rizzzed with 11 designs in February 2024.
The brand sells through its website and via pop-up stalls in Mumbai, Pune, and Delhi. It has plans to be available on Amazon soon.
Each piece in Rizzzed’s collection showcases iconic gaming elements, from retro pixel art to modern esports aesthetics. The designs capture the essence of various gaming genres, characters, and cultures while maintaining the cool, understated vibe of streetwear. Some of its top designs are inspired by games like GTA San Andreas, Call of Duty, Cyberpunk 2077, God of War, Red Dead Redemption, The Witcher, and Mortal Kombat.
Besides offering T-shirts, the brand actively participates in gaming events, sponsorships, and collaborations. So far, the brand has collaborated with 20 influencers and aims to reach 100 by the end of FY25.
Rizzzed’s Early-Stage Hiccoughs
While launching Rizzzed, the founder envisioned that his idea would resonate well with a larger audience and not just gamers alone. However, this assumption was quickly proven wrong within the first month itself.
“In the first month, the brand managed to garner sales of INR 2.5 Lakh. However, contrary to my vision of serving a broader target audience, all customers were from the gaming community,” the founder said.
After this, the founder connected with an ad agency, which promised him sales of INR 10-12 Lakhs and a return on ad spend (ROAS) of 4X to 5X.
However, in the first month with the agency (March), the startup yielded a ROAS of a mere 0.4, followed by 0.68 in the second month (April) and 0.8 in the third (May). By this time, the founder had already paid INR 5 Lakh to the ad agency.
The agency suggested that the designs may not be resonating with the audience, triggering Bhattacharjee to question the market for his brand.
Unwilling to give up, the founder changed his strategy and decided to try his hands offline. This strategy proved crucial for the brand as Bhattacharjee was now on the ground and could get feedback in real time to further tweak his product line or add new ones. Around this time, he also learned about a flea market in Pune where they could set up a pop-up stall.
“In just two days, the brand achieved sales of INR 1.5 Lakh. The interesting part was that 90% of the buyers were non-gamers, proving that there was indeed a market. Now, it was just a matter of how we promoted the brand,” the founder said.
By mid-June, he completely paused all advertising and began to learn about Meta ads. During this month, the brand did zero sales. However, in July, courtesy the founder’s learning, the brand achieved a ROAS of 5X, raking in INR 7.5 Lakh in sales. Per the founder, the brand has seen continued growth since then.
After solving the revenue paradox, the next challenge was to identify which products resonated well with his target audience. For this, he launched 11 products initially, featuring a mix of four aggressive designs, two funny ones, one merchandise item, and three quirky pieces.
“One of the best-sellers was a funny design that became so popular its cheaper knock-off was selling at Delhi’s Chor Bazaar, revealing that humour resonated well with customers. Another major hit for us was an aggressive ghost design, showing that bold, assertive themes had strong appeal, although not everyone connected with the aggressive style,” Bhattacharjee said.
To broaden its reach, the brand then introduced a GTA-inspired design, blending both aggressive and non-aggressive elements, to attract a wider audience. Additionally, the founder observed that female gamers preferred oversized and regular T-shirts over crop tops, leading the brand to focus more on those styles.
Building on these learnings, the brand expanded its offerings to 22. Currently, its two best-sellers are the ghost design and a Witcher-inspired design from the series, with the ghost accounting for 23% of its sales, merchandise at 21%, and the Witcher design at 16%.
Many of its designs use puffed vinyl printing, known for its anti-wrinkle properties and natural water absorption, making them ideal for any season. All designs are screen-printed, ensuring durability for up to 100 washes.
Road Ahead For Rizzzed
Rizzzed currently offers products at an accessible price point starting from INR 750, compared to other brands like Rush by Kira, which charge anywhere between INR 1,200 and INR 5,000 apiece. He added that many brands today still source designs from Pinterest, whereas Rizzzed focusses on in-house ideation, design and manufacturing with superior quality.
Recognising that not everyone resonates with gaming themes, the brand also integrates relatable quotes into each design to create a connection with a wider audience. For instance, one of the designs features the quote, “Gamers don’t die, they respawn,” prompting curiosity among non-gamers about the gaming culture.
“By incorporating catchy phrases that resonate beyond gaming, we aim to make our products accessible to both gamers and non-gamers alike,” the founder shared.
To engage non-gamers, the brand is actively collaborating with influencers. It aims to connect with nearly 100 influencers by the end of this fiscal.
Further the brand provides 240 GSM fabric at INR 770, while others, offer lower-quality fabric (180 to 220 GSM) at higher price points, the founder added.
In addition, the founder highlighted, brands like Redwolf currently lack gaming-themed products. The founder plans to incorporate popular characters like Spiderman in its upcoming launches, distinguishing Rizzzed’s offerings from competitors. It will also be launching designs inspired by mainstream games such as Ludo, Candy crush, and Road Rash.
Bhattacharjee has also set his eyes on a winter collection for this season. The collection will be made from 100% recycled fabric. The brand is also in the process of launching a streetwear kurta. Besides, it aims to introduce gaming-inspired innerwear by January 2025.
The founder’s long term vision is to open a unique experiential store in Pune, spanning 1,200 square feet, which will include a 100-square-foot clothing section and a gaming zone. This concept will allow customers to wear T-shirts and engage in gaming, enhancing the overall shopping experience.
With a current monthly recurring revenue (MRR) of INR 6 Lakh and a projection of INR 1-1.5 Cr for FY25, the founder is optimistic about meeting this target.
The startup is also in discussions with several venture capitalists, including Fireside Ventures and Brand Capital, to secure funding. The founders aim for a post-money valuation of INR 18 Cr to support their growth plans. So far, Rizzzed has received an investment of INR 20 Lakh from investor Virasat Swami.
Going forward, the main challenge the founder sees for the brand is the rapid shift in fast fashion. With new brands emerging every day, it could become difficult for Rizzzed to maintain its market position and remain a go-to streetwear brand for both gaming and non-gaming GenZ or millennials.
[Edited By Shishir Parasher]
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