EXCLUSIVE

Gatorade's gettin' some Hater-ade from the State of California -- which is suing the energy drink company for a star-studded smear campaign against water.

Drink that in.

It's all over a 2012 app launched by Gatorade called "Bolt!" -- it's a mobile phone game like "Temple Run" in which a Usain Bolt character runs through obstacles gathering Gatorade token to run faster.

The enemy in the game is water -- which is branded as "the enemy of performance." Players must avoid water at all cost. The game was reportedly downloaded more than 2.3 million times and promoted by huge stars like Justin Bieber and Mike Tyson.

So, why does the state of CA have a problem?

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, the state attorney general believes the game violated California law by delivering a misleading message to consumers -- that water decreases athletic performance. California says that's just not true.

The State wants to block Gatorade from continuing the anti-H20 ad campaign -- and also seeks to hit the company with a serious fine.