Comic Con Delhi lit up by the gaming community: Featuring esports stars like Dynamo, and gamers cosplaying as Mirage, Malenia and more
While the event naturally had more pop culture cosplays from movies and TV shows (and most from Anime), there were several gaming cosplays, signaling the rising popularity of gaming in India as its community grows larger.
Comic Con India started 10 years ago in Delhi and it came back to the city last week to once again celebrate everything pop culture. However, this time, Comic Con India celebrated the ever-evolving world of gaming in India. The Arena was set up at Comic Con which featured the likes of Microsoft, Intel, Dell Alienware, Ubisoft and more. People coming in got to experience gaming first-hand at various exhibition stalls as they played games like FIFA 23, Forza Horizon 5, Mortal Kombat 11, and more.
Gaming community at Comic Con Delhi
Comic Con India took place from December 9 to 11, serving as the go-to place for all the geeks and gamers alike. We met several enthusiastic gamers during Comic Con Delhi who were dressed up as their favorite characters from video games.
Karan Prakash, who cosplayed as Mirage from Apex Legends, won the Delhi Comic Con cosplay competition in the gaming category. Speaking about his win, he said, “I wasn't sure if I will win and I didn't create the cosplay with the intent of competing. The cosplay was made for the love of the game and this character. But the win feels awesome as its [sic] my first win and I feel my efforts have totally paid off.”
He added that his experience at Comic-Con was fruitful as he met so many new gamers and formed a bond with them. “I now know that my gaming lobbies will be full with [sic] a lot of new gaming buddies,” concluded Karan.
While the event naturally had more pop culture cosplays from movies and TV shows (and most from Anime), there were several gaming cosplays, signalling the rising popularity of gaming in India as its community grows larger. Mirage Cosplayer Karan said he met many apex players at Comic Con while he wasn’t expecting to be recognized at the event since Apex Legends “is not that popular of a game in India vs say PUBG or COD Mobile.”
Gaming cosplays at Comic Con Delhi
Zara Rebello, who cosplayed as Malenia is one of the semi-finalists for the Indian Championship of Cosplay after winning the Delhi ICC Day 3 Grand Prize.
Speaking to India Today Gaming, she said, “I have been a part of the Indian Gaming Community and cosplaying gaming characters ever since I started with this artform because it's a way for me to pursue both my passions - art and gaming together. I'm ecstatic about winning! It's gratification for the effort that went into making the costume and the time I spend to defeat the Goddess of Rot.”
Malenia, for those unfamiliar, is the toughest boss offered by FromSoftware in Elden Ring. While several cosplayers took inspiration from Marvel-DC superheroes and anime protagonists, Rebello went with Malenia for cosplay. Speaking about her decision to go with Malenia, she said, "Malenia, the Blade of Miquella, is one of the most badass characters I've ever seen. She is one of the toughest bosses in any game and that appeals to me. I've always been partial to villains anyway. The character model is very detailed and well thought out plus it evolves so you can expect that from me in the future."
Rebello, a regular at Comic Con, spoke about how much she has missed the event during the pandemic and the friendships that began at these events. While she said Delhi Comic Con “was a delight”, she added that there should have been “wheelchair access and ramps to the experience booths and stage next time.”
When quizzed about how it felt to be at The Arena, Rebello called it “a ton of fun”. She also said, “The Esports Club brought us gamers a platform to enjoy playing some of our favourite games on high-end systems. For me, the highlight is being able to meet the OGs, old friends and many more like-minded people in one place and just nerd out together.”
The Arena
Beat Saber VR, Just Dance 2023, and other interactive games were also available for fans to try out during the event. Various gaming stations featuring Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, and gaming PCs were also installed at Comic Con for hands-on experience.
However, there was room for improvement at Delhi Comic Con which returned after 3 years. Karan Prakash urged for “better changing areas for cosplayers” for future Comic Con events. He also felt that “more gaming stations and booth” should have been present at The Arena so that “gamers can engage in different games with our friends and have a gala time.”
The Arena was the hub for gaming and esports at Comic-Con Delhi. Several big-name esports streamers were present at the Arena to meet and interact with fans. Streamers such as Dynamo, S8UL Sid, 8Bit Mamba, Sikh Warrior, and Xyaa were present during Comic Con Delhi.
