Payal Dhare (born 18 September 2000), better known as Payal Gaming, is a famous Indian Esports Gamer, YouTuber, Streamer, Content Creator with over 4 million subscribers on YouTube and nearly 5 million followers on Instagram. Based in Madhya Pradesh, she is a member of S8UL Esports, known for her captivating live streams of Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and GTA V.

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Payal Dhare Wiki / Bio

Physical Appearance

Family

Social Media Accounts

Income and Net Worth

Introduction

If you play BGMI or PUBG or GTA V or S8UL Esports or any other mobile or computer game, then you probably know Payal Gaming quite well. Payal Dhare, born on 18 September 2000 in Umranala village, Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, was a regular college student. During her college days, some of her friends used to do mobile gaming and she also got addicted to it. Payal, who used to play games just for hobby or fun, has today become India’s most followed and famous female gamer. In the mobile and computer gaming world, where only males used to dominate, Payal has made a golden place for herself.

Early Life & Background

Payal was born in Bhilai, a steel-town city in Chhattisgarh. She was brought up alongside two sisters Anjali (elder) and Bhumi (younger) by her parents, Shiv Shankar Dhare and Sangeeta Dhare. By all accounts, she was academically solid she was a topper in both 10th and 12th standard from Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Chhindwara.

Here’s the interesting part though Payal was not some gaming prodigy who grew up glued to a screen. She started playing PUBG Mobile during her first year at Rungta College, Bhilai, where she was pursuing her B.Com degree, mostly because her friends introduced her to it. She got into it, got good at it quickly, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Career Journey

Payal started her YouTube journey in March 2019, initially under the name ‘Substance Payal.’ Her first upload on July 15, 2019 didn’t set the world on fire only a handful of people saw it initially. But she kept going. She started streaming in September 2020, and that’s when things really began to pick up. Her first streams were purely PUBG Mobile gameplay, and her natural, bubbly personality in front of the camera made her stand out almost immediately.

She was associated with Entity Gaming (TSM Entity) before eventually moving to S8UL Esports India’s biggest and most prestigious gaming organization. Being part of S8UL gave her access to better resources, a wider audience, and legitimacy in competitive gaming circles. In August 2021, her YouTube channel crossed 1 million subscribers, making her the first Indian female game streamer to reach that milestone. By May 2023, she had crossed 3 million subscribers again, a first for an Indian female streamer.

Major Achievements & Milestones

• First Indian female gamer to reach 3 million YouTube subscribers (May 2023)
• First Indian female streamer to win Mobile Streamer of the Year at MOBIES 2024
• Won Dynamic Gaming Creator of the Year (2023) and Gaming Creator of the Year (2024)
• One of a select group of top Indian gamers invited to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 to discuss the future of Indian gaming
• India’s first female gamer to win an international honour at the MOBIES
• Part of S8UL Esports India’s leading gaming organization
• 5M+ Instagram followers as of 2026 (@payalgamingg)
• 4.6M+ YouTube subscribers on main channel
• In 2023, gifted her parents a Mahindra Thar SUV and a property from her earnings

Bigg Boss 19

In 2025, Payal made the jump from purely gaming content to mainstream entertainment when she entered Bigg Boss 19 as a contestant. This was a strategic move to expand her identity beyond gaming and reach a much broader audience. Fans expected her fun, grounded personality to shine inside the Bigg Boss house and she didn’t disappoint.

Controversy

In 2025, a deepfake video of Payal went viral online. Her massive fanbase immediately recognized it as fake and came to her defense in large numbers, calling out the person responsible. Payal herself did not make a public statement on the matter, but was seen continuing her normal life as per her Instagram stories.

She has also faced serious online harassment in the past, including rape and death threats from anonymous accounts (some impersonating gaming organisations like GodLike) during a livestream. Senior figures from the Indian gaming community like coach Ghatak publicly condemned this behavior.

Unknown Fun Facts

• Her first ever purchase with her own earnings was a monitor
• She has crazy fans three of them once found her address and came to her house dressed as pizza delivery men!
• Her first gaming name was ‘4ZA Payal’ aka ‘Forza Payal’
• She once said she would have become a model if gaming hadn’t happened for her
• She dreams of having a Netflix film made on her journey from a traditional household to a top Indian gaming star
• She used to do monthly boot camps in Mumbai in 2020 before moving there permanently
• Her inspiration includes Latvian streamer DanucD and Indian streamers like Mortal (Naman Mathur)

Conclusion

Payal Gaming isn’t just a gamer she’s a cultural force. In a country where girls from traditional families are still told gaming isn’t a ‘real’ career, Payal broke every single barrier. She bought her parents a car and a house, met the Prime Minister, won international awards, and walked into the Bigg Boss house with her head held high. That’s not just success that’s a revolution.