NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Presents "Made in NY" Grants at the Game Devs of Color Expo

Grants Presented to Game Developers Chris James for Scramble Star Crossing & Sri Kankanahalli for Neon Inferno

Live Viewing Party of Virtual Expo, Presented by MOME, Included Presentation of a Mayoral Certificate of Recognition to Game Devs of Color in Celebration of 10th Anniversary

NEW YORK - The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) is proud to announce that NYC based game developers Chris James and Sri Kankanahalli were presented "Made in NY" Grants at the 10th Annual Game Devs of Color Expo. The recipients were awarded $7,000 each in finishing funds for their games, Scramble Star Crossing and Neon Inferno. The grant presentation took place at a live viewing party at OS NYC in Downtown Manhattan, hosted by DaPurpleSharpie, where city officials were on hand to present Game Devs of Color Executive Director Catt Small with a Mayoral Certificate of Recognition of Game Devs of Color’ 10th anniversary and their contributions to the Digital Games community. The NYC viewing party culminated the four-day virtual expo that featured panels, developer interviews and new game announcements.

"We congratulate Chris and Sri on receiving these ‘Made in NY’ Grants to complete their new games, and we're proud to have supported the Game Devs of Color Expo once again through an in person viewing party in NYC," said Commissioner of the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman. "These MOME-led efforts, including milestones such as the first-ever NYC Video Game Festival in May, exemplify this administration's work to support NYC's digital games industry and make it accessible to all New Yorkers."

"New York City is my hometown, and it’s home to many game creators of color. The Game Devs of Color team is grateful to NYC for its continued efforts to make independent game development more sustainable. Small studios can only grow into large institutions with funding. With the city’s help, we’ve granted thousands of dollars to high-potential creative New Yorkers in the gaming industry. I’m excited to continue our partnership and do our part to show that game development is a worthwhile endeavor in the concrete jungle.” – Catt Small, Game Devs of Color Executive Director

"We made sure Scramble Star Crossing reflects the diversity and community that make NYC such a special place to be a game developer. With the support of the Made in NY grant we plan to take this game further than we ever planned, and we're excited to debut to players all over the world!" – Chris James, Dusk Sharp

"Thanks to the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, as well as Game Devs of Color. The release of a new game is always an uncertain time for any studio, and this grant will help alleviate some of that uncertainty. We'll use these funds to finish the development of Neon Inferno as well as to support the game after its release, while we figure out what's next for the studio." – Sri Kankanahalli, Zenovia Interactive

"Made in NY" Grant recipient Chris James is the founder of Dusk Sharp, a NYC-based indie studio focused on bringing players together across all gaming communities. Neon Inferno is a small team-building game centered around connected multiplayer experiences and reinventing classic games. James was the Lead Developer on the game Scramble Star Crossing.

“Made in NY” Grant recipient Sri Kankanahalli is the founder and creative director of Zenovia Interactive, the studio behind 2021's Steel Assault and 2025's Neon Inferno. His games feature high-intensity action in beautiful and detailed settings.

Previous recipients of the "Made in NY" Grant include Game Developer Geneva Heyward, at the 2022 Game Devs of Color Expo, for their work on the simulated dating game Skate & Date; and Daniel Lowe, at the 2024 Game Devs of Color Expo, for his work on Parkour Legends.

Mayor Adams, the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, and other members of the administration have collaborated on many new initiatives to support NYC as a leading hub for Digital Games development, including establishment of the first-ever Game Development Industry Council, created to advise the city's policies and programs in the games development sector; invested over $2 million in CUNY's first-ever Game Design Bachelor's Degree; partnered with NYC Schools on the Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Esports Competition and NYC Video Game Festival; and launched the NYC Summer of Games initiative, to shine a light on all digital events in NYC throughout the summer months.