Pixel P&L: Haryana Unveils Plan for India’s First Disneyland Theme Park in Manesar

When Haryana's Chief Minister announced plans for India's first Disneyland theme park on 500 acres near Delhi, he basically threw down the gauntlet to every family vacation planner in the region. The ambitious Manesar project aims to put a slice of magical kingdom magic right next to Gurugram's corporate towers, promising thousands of jobs and positioning itself alongside Paris and Tokyo as a global entertainment hub. Disney hasn't officially confirmed their involvement yet, but someone's clearly betting big on Indian families choosing local thrills over international trips.

Also in today's email:

🎮 Garena partners with India's Tez Platforms for $120K tournament comeback

🎬 Netflix renews Edgerunners anime for second season

🎯 Turkish gaming veteran İlker Yoldaş joins Indian publisher Felicity as VP of Product

🌐 Nintendo defends Switch 2 pricing while drowning in pre-order demand they can't fulfill

Haryana Plans India's First Disneyland Theme Park in Manesar

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced plans for India's first Disneyland theme park in Manesar, targeting the National Capital Region's growing entertainment market.

The 500-acre project along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway aims to position the region alongside global destinations like Paris and Tokyo. Saini called it a "game-changer" following discussions with Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The current proposal represents a scaled-down version of a similar initiative attempted in 1989, when plans for a 28,000-acre theme park were abandoned following farmer protests over land acquisition concerns.

"This entertainment hub will bring economic, cultural and social benefits not only to Haryana but to the entire country," Saini said, emphasizing the project's focus on voluntary land participation and farmer protections.

Located near Gurugram's corporate hubs and the upcoming 1,000-acre Global City development, the park promises thousands of direct and indirect jobs while boosting the hospitality and real estate sectors. Disney has yet to issue an official statement on the proposal, though state officials confirm preliminary groundwork is underway.

Garena Teams Up With India's Tez Platforms for Esports Push

Singapore gaming company Garena has struck a partnership with Tez Platforms, the technology unit of India's Hiranandani Group, to tap into the country's growing esports market, Moneycontrol reported.

The collaboration will launch with the Free Fire Max India Cup 2025, featuring an INR 10 million ($120,000) prize pool. The tournament runs from July 13 through September 28, marking a significant re-entry for Garena into India's competitive gaming landscape. 

"This partnership represents a significant step toward nurturing homegrown talent and building India's esports ecosystem," said Tez Platforms Chairman Darshan Hiranandani.

The deal allows Garena to leverage Tez's local market knowledge and infrastructure while giving the Indian company access to one of the world's most popular mobile games. Tez Platforms, established in February 2022, has outlined investment plans of approximately INR 35 billion ($420 million) over two to three years across various technology sectors.

⚡Quick Bytes

Indian Game Publisher Felicity Names İlker Yoldaş VP of Product

Indian game publisher Felicity appointed İlker Yoldaş as Vice President of Product, bringing over two decades of gaming industry experience to the role as the company builds its global leadership team. Yoldaş previously served as Head of Studio at Quiet, leading the company through its acquisition by TapNation, and has held leadership positions at Homa, TastyPill, and Peak Games, specializing in live operations and AI-driven personalization. "İlker is a systems thinker with a player-first heart," said Anurag Choudhary, Founder and CEO of Felicity, highlighting Yoldaş's experience scaling live titles and integrating AI into gameplay systems as the Indian company enters its next growth phase.

CD Projekt Red Renews Cyberpunk: Edgerunners for Second Season

CD Projekt Red renewed its Netflix anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners for a second season, with Studio Trigger returning to produce the ten-episode follow-up. The new season will feature a different story from the first iteration, with Kai Ikarashi making his directorial debut alongside Masahiko Otsuka and lead character designer Kanno Ichigo. The original series boosted CD Projekt's Q3 2022 revenue and drove one million daily players to return to Cyberpunk 2077.

Nintendo Defends Switch 2 Pricing Amid Supply Shortages

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa defended the Switch 2's pricing as "appropriate for the gaming experience" during the company's annual shareholders meeting, while acknowledging supply constraints. The console broke Japanese launch records with 2.2 million pre-order applications and set US launch week records. Furukawa said Nintendo is "closely monitoring" whether pricing becomes a barrier for young consumers and pledged to strengthen production systems to meet demand exceeding supply.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Watch: Ferreira shares Scopely's blueprint for explosive growth in this podcast with Deconstructor of Fun, revealing how a "learning machine" culture and fandom-focused strategy drove revenue from $12 million to $3 billion. Essential viewing for understanding how ambitious thinking, strategic IP selection, and resilient team-building create sustainable success in mobile gaming's competitive landscape.

🎮 Play: If you're craving satisfying RPG progression without downloads, Eternal Fury: Resurrected delivers addictive turn-based dungeon crawling right in your browser. You'll find yourself hooked on the constant power growth as every micro-task meaningfully strengthens your character. Perfect stress-free grinding for when you want productive gaming sessions.

📚 Read: MacLeod chronicles the devastating human cost of Microsoft's Xbox layoffs, profiling veteran developers with decades of experience, including studio founders and creative directors, who've been discarded despite their foundational contributions to gaming. A sobering examination of corporate shortsightedness that prioritizes immediate profits over industry expertise and long-term sustainability.

💡Did You Know

One of gaming's rarest collector's pieces is a PlayStation 2 console shaped like a car, created specifically for Need for Speed: Most Wanted. This incredible one-of-a-kind console was manufactured by Spiritplayers and used as a showcase piece at the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany, making it an incredibly sought-after item among collectors.

The attention to detail was remarkable - you literally needed to use a small car key to power on the console, just like starting a real vehicle. Even more impressive was how game loading worked: discs were inserted under the hood where a car's engine would be.

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