Pixel P&L: Comic Con India Heads to Northeast India With First-Ever Guwahati Edition

Welcome to another Pixel P&L edition. This issue takes 4 minutes to read. If you only have one, here are the 5 most important things:

• Comic Con India makes its first-ever Northeast Indian debut in Guwahati, signaling the region's growing pop culture influence.

• India launches its first video game industry association with nine major companies to boost local development for global markets.

• Esports World Cup 2025 smashes records with 750 million viewers and a massive $70M prize pool in Riyadh.

• Amar Chitra Katha partners with TransUnion CIBIL to create educational comics featuring beloved Tinkle characters.

• ESL FACEIT Group signs a major dispute resolution deal to tackle integrity issues across esports competitions. 

Let's get into it.

Comic Con India Targets Northeast Growth With Guwahati Debut

Comic Con India is expanding to the country's northeast region for the first time, announcing a Guwahati edition scheduled for November 22-23 as part of its 2025-26 season.

The pop culture festival's move into Assam's largest city reflects India's evolving youth market and the growing influence of gaming, anime and cosplay culture beyond major metropolitan centers. 

"The region has always had a deep love for cosplay and pop culture," said Akshat Rathee, co-founder of event organizer NODWIN Gaming. Northeast fans previously traveled across the country to attend Comic Con events.

The two-day Guwahati event will feature comics, cosplay competitions, gaming zones, and esports tournaments alongside creative workshops for artists and illustrators. The festival aims to provide a platform for Northeast India's creative community to showcase local talent while connecting with international pop culture trends.

India Forms First Video Game-Focused Industry Body to Boost Local Development

India has launched a video game industry association after Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025, marking a significant step in the country’s push to become a global gaming hub.

The Indian Game Publishers and Developers Association brings together nine major domestic gaming companies, including Nazara Technologies, maker of World Cricket Championship, and Gametion, developer of the popular Ludo King mobile game.

The association aims to champion original Indian intellectual property and promote locally-developed titles for global markets. The move aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to position India as a center for gaming and esports innovation, supported by new online gaming legislation.

IGPDA has proposed a partnership with Maharashtra state government to establish Mumbai as a global gaming hub through policy incentives designed to attract international gaming companies. Other founding members include nCore Games, Reliance Games, Tara Gaming and SuperGaming, representing developers of titles from battle royale games to WWE-themed mobile entertainment.

⚡️Quick Bytes

Esports World Cup Sets Viewership Records With 750 Million Viewers

The Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh recorded 750 million viewers and 350 million hours watched, according to organizers, surpassing its 2024 inaugural event. Peak viewership hit 7.98 million during the League of Legends tournament. Overall the seven-week event featured over 2,000 players from 100 countries and 200 Clubs, competing across 25 tournaments for a record $70 million prize pool.

Indian Comics Publishers Expand Into Financial Education Partnerships

TransUnion CIBIL collaborated with Amar Chitra Katha to create "CIBIL Ki Kahaniyan," a comic edition featuring Tinkle's Suppandi character to teach credit awareness. The financial services company is marking its 25th anniversary with the educational comic aimed at making credit concepts accessible to readers.

ESL FACEIT Group Signs Dispute Resolution Partnership

ESL FACEIT Group signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Games and Esports Tribunal to integrate dispute resolution services across its competitions. The partnership, announced during the New Global Sports Conference in Riyadh, will address integrity issues, contractual disputes and intellectual property matters in esports.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: René Habermann from the successful Dome Keeper studio shares a proven framework for choosing viable game projects. Learn to identify "wrong games" that lead to studio closure, master prototype validation techniques, and understand sustainable development practices from a team that sold 1.4 million copies.

🎮 Play: Sword of the Sea offers gorgeous visuals and atmospheric storytelling that rewards multiple playthroughs with hidden secrets. Like Journey or Gris, it's short but deeply satisfying, with light Tony Hawk-style movement that perfectly balances gameplay and contemplation. Completable in an afternoon, yet rich enough to warrant careful re-exploration.

📚 Read: A Larian Studios developer explains why the gaming industry feels creatively stagnant despite massive profits. The piece argues that AAA studios have become so data-driven they've lost their creative instincts, while indie developers still follow their gut to create breakout hits. It's an insightful analysis of how risk aversion and corporate data obsession are killing gaming innovation.

💡Did You Know

Nintendo had an exclusive partnership with UK-based Argonaut Studios, the creators of Star Fox. During this arrangement, Nintendo rejected two Argonaut prototypes: a 3D Yoshi game and Star Fox 2. However, Nintendo allegedly used ideas and code from these rejected projects to develop Super Mario 64 and Star Fox 64 internally, without crediting or compensating Argonaut. This controversial move highlighted the power dynamics in game development partnerships and remains one of gaming's most disputed business decisions.

📜 Quote of the Day

Was this forwarded to you? Sign up for free here. 

We read every email! Share your feedback by hitting reply.