Portfolio / Dreamhack — Mobile App Rescue, Stabilization & Modernization

Dreamhack — Mobile App Rescue, Stabilization & Modernization

Company
Duration: 15 months
Team: 2 members
Product Domain: Esports event platform

Quick project snapshot

We rescued and stabilized a critically broken Dreamhack mobile app — restoring core functionality, rebuilding, unstable architecture, and enabling reliable performance during live festival events.


App-breaking bugs fixed and core flows restored: 01
Navigation and architecture rebuilt on stable foundation: 02
Live event performance stabilized under peak load: 03
Real-time schedule system and push notifications added: 04
Analytics and monitoring integrated (Firebase, Braze, Sentry): 05

What needed fixing

Dreamhack’s mobile app was an unreliable legacy system that failed under live event conditions:

[ PROBLEM ]

Core functionality failures
App-breaking bugs blocked key user flows
Unstable navigation
Fragmented and inconsistent routing logic
Performance degradation
Severe slowdowns during peak festival traffic
Lack of real-time updates
No live schedules or event information
Missing engagement tools
No push notifications for attendees
No product visibility
Absence of analytics or usage tracking

The app was not reliable enough for live event use

What we aimed for

[ GOAL ]

Restore stability first, then evolve into a reliable live-event platform:

[ GOAL ]

Fix app-breaking issues
resolve core functionality blockers
Stabilize architecture
rebuild navigation on a reliable foundation
Ensure performance at scale
handle live festival load conditions
Add real-time features
schedules and push notifications
Introduce analytics
enable product visibility and insights

How we solved it

We started with full system triage due
to missing documentation and unstable legacy architecture

[ Key principles ]

[ 01 ]
Stability-first prioritization
resolved app-breaking issues before any feature work
[ 02 ]
Incremental architecture recovery
stabilized navigation and core systems without full rewrite
[ 03 ]
Legacy-safe evolution
worked within React Native constraints to avoid regressions
[ 04 ]
Event-ready reliability
validated all changes under live load conditions
[ 05 ]
Modern observability stack
introduced Firebase, Braze, Analytics, and Sentry for real-time monitoring and insights

What we built

[ SOLUTION ]

Critical Bug Fixes & Core Functionality Restored

Fixed app-breaking issues blocking core user flows
Restored stable baseline functionality across the app
Eliminated critical crashes and blocking errors

RESULT

App became reliably usable again

Reworked fragmented navigation into a stable structure
Rebuilt core app architecture for long-term maintainability
Reduced structural complexity in legacy React Native codebase

RESULT

Predictable UX and maintainable foundation

Live Event Performance Stabilization

Optimized performance under high-traffic festival load
Fixed crashes and slowdowns during peak usage
Validated stability under live event conditions

RESULT

Stable behavior during peak loads

Live Schedule & Notification System

Built real-time schedule system using Firebase
Implemented push notification delivery for attendees
Enabled live event updates in real time

RESULT

Attendees received live event updates instantly

Analytics & Monitoring Layer

Integrated Firebase and Braze analytics
Added Sentry error tracking across the app
Enabled real-time visibility into user behavior and crashes

RESULT

First-time visibility into user behavior and system health

Results

Business impact

App became reliable for high-stakes live festival usage

Attendees gained real-time access to schedules and updates

Product team gained first visibility into user behavior

Reduced risk of failures during live events

Stable foundation for future development

[ Technical results ]

All critical bugs resolved and core functionality restored
Stable React Native architecture in place
Performance validated under live event conditions
Real-time schedule system live via Firebase
Push notification system operational for events
Analytics active via Firebase + Braze
Sentry monitoring enabled for proactive error detection

Client's feedback

[ TESTIMONIAL ]

27 NERDS took over a non-functional app and rebuilt it into a stable, working product under real event conditions. The platform handled live schedules, notifications, and high traffic during festivals — which was critical for our operations.

Shahin Zaraabi

VP Festivals, DreamHack

Team and tools

[ TEAM & TECH ]

Delivered by a team of mobile engineers experienced in legacy rescue projects — diagnosing and fixing broken systems without documentation, under real constraints, and shipping reliable improvements without introducing new instability.