Pixel P&L: Comic Con India's Next Chapter has a New Lead

When NODWIN Gaming spent ₹55 crore to acquire Comic Con India last year, they were buying more than just events—they were purchasing a cultural phenomenon. Now they've picked their new leader to turn fan passion into business growth. 

In today's email: 

🧵 Comic Con India's New Leadership After ₹55 Crore Acquisition 

💼 "May-ya the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor": Indian Creator's Ambitious Open-World Game Divides Community

🚀 "The Last of Us, First in Ratings": PlayStation's TV Strategy Pays Off With 13% Viewership Jump 

🌐 Ubisoft Finally Finds Its Shadow of Success After Year of Disappointments

📊 Gaming Stocks Today

Comic Con India Names Johnson as CEO in Post-Acquisition Strategy

Comic Con India has appointed Shefali Johnson as Chief Executive Officer, marking a strategic leadership transition following the brand's January 2024 acquisition by NODWIN Gaming at a ₹55 crore valuation.

Johnson, previously responsible for major NODWIN properties including DreamHack India and BGMS, succeeds founders Jatin Varma, Karan Kalra, and Event Director Sonal Varma, who will transition to advisory roles while continuing to provide creative input.

"Stepping into this role is both a privilege and a responsibility," Johnson said. "We plan to grow this platform into newer cities, introduce newer formats, and create more inclusive experiences."

The transition follows Comic Con India's most successful season to date, with expansion into Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Pune, alongside established events in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Since its 2011 launch, Comic Con India has established itself as the country's premier pop culture event, hosting creators, previews, and merchandise launches for India's growing fandom community.

Indian Content Creator Reveals Ambitious Gaming Project

Tech entrepreneur and content creator Varun Mayya unveiled a trailer for "Unleash the Avatar (Project 11A)," developed by Aeos Games. The preview marks Mayya's first significant venture into gaming, showing an open-world concept built on Unreal Engine.

The trailer has generated divided responses within India's gaming community. Supporters point to the ambition of creating an Indian-developed open-world title, while critics have questioned aspects of visual execution and performance potential, particularly regarding optimization challenges that often affect independent productions using Unreal Engine.

"8 months, 40 people, and the most monumental effort we have ever undertaken. We now submit to your judgement," Mayya stated upon the trailer's release, emphasizing the scale of resources committed to the project.

⚡Quick Bytes

PlayStation's 'Last of Us' Adaptation Sees Strong Return on HBO

Sony's PlayStation franchise "The Last of Us" continues its successful TV transition, with season two attracting 5.3 million viewers, up 13% from its premiere. The Naughty Dog game adaptation represents a key pillar in Sony's cross-media strategy. Season one reached 32 million viewers during its premiere, demonstrating significant ROI for HBO's gaming IP investment. The series has already secured a third season commitment.

Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group Signs Esports Development Deal

Savvy Games Group, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, has signed an MoU with the Saudi Esports Federation to develop the kingdom's gaming ecosystem. The partnership will create training programs and employment opportunities in line with Vision 2030 objectives. Both entities are government-connected, though financial terms weren't disclosed.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Tops US Game Charts, Boosting Ubisoft

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows has led US game sales for three consecutive weeks since its March launch, according to Circana data. Now 2025's second best-selling game nationally, with over three million players worldwide, the title delivers a critical win for Ubisoft following last year's commercial disappointments and amid ongoing corporate restructuring.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: A thought-provoking exploration of why some games keep us coming back for more while others gather dust after a single playthrough.

🎮 Play: Enshrouded is a mesmerizing blend of survival crafting and RPG adventure set in a fog-shrouded world that beckons exploration despite its rough edges.

📚 Read: This deep dive into text adventure video games proves that sometimes all you need is "You are standing at the end of a road" to create gaming experiences more powerful than any AAA graphics engine.

💡Did You Know

The Library of Congress preserves about 3,000 video games and 1,500 strategy guides. Their "game canon" began in 2006 with classics like Spacewar!, Tetris, and Doom. The collection includes rare Japanese imports, educational titles, and even a game narrated by comedian David Sedaris.

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