The games will become patriotic.

A plan to support the Russian video game industry has been developed.

In December of last year, following his visit to the exhibition “Development of the Creative Economy in Russia,” President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to develop a plan to support and develop the domestic video game production for the next five years. It is anticipated that by 2029, the industry’s growth will reach 0.4-0.5% of the country’s total GDP. The implementation and coordination of the plan are entrusted to the Russian Video Game Industry Development Organization (RVIDI).

Presidential Program

It all began with a discussion about the future of the video game industry in Russia at the Russian Internet Forum in the spring of 2022. During that time, speakers suggested drawing on the experiences of Japan, South Korea, and Canada, arguing that in these countries, the industry has become one of the leading sectors of the economy.

However, the matter is not solely an economic factor. In Russia, games made by foreign developers or following Western standards, where questionable moral values are promoted, cruelty, LGBT issues, and similar themes, are widely popular. Hence, there is a problem of assessing content.

Let’s not forget that the primary consumers of gaming products are children, teenagers, and young people who may perceive such ideas as the norm. Thus, it is necessary to adjust the market, including creating content with proper moral guidelines.

Here are the main directions outlined by the president in the December list of assignments:

• Develop and implement measures to support Russian gaming services and the overall Russian gaming market.
• Classify video games, considering their distribution method, format, and content.
• Organize monitoring and control of the content in video games to comply with laws on information, information technologies, and information protection.
• Organize monitoring and record financial transactions in video games developed by foreign companies (if the rights to games are not transferred to Russian entities). For this, create a Unified Regulator of Gambling.

To increase competition

It is planned that in the formulation of the so-called roadmap for the development of the video game industry, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, the Agency for Creative Industries, as well as the departments and administrations of the Moscow government, game development studios, independent producers, investors, and esports players will participate.

Four main directions are outlined: “System Elements of Support,” “Export,” “Education,” and “Technologies.” The first direction involves measures that will help developers interact more effectively with government structures. The export block is related to the entry of Russian video games into global markets, including BRICS countries. Finally, the educational and technological directions involve building a system for training specialists and import substitution.

Video games are part of the global market, so general and technological trends can be attributed to our industry. – commented Vasily Ovchinnikov, head of RVIDI. The Russian video game market contracted in 2022, especially in online games. According to expert estimates, the decline ranges from 35% to 50%. The main reasons for this situation are the departure of major companies, studio relocations, and problems with financial transactions. Experts believe that recovery is possible within two to three years with government support through investments, the development of specialized education, and the growth of popularity of Russian streaming platforms.

Ovchinnikov told “Gazeta o Rossii” that Russia has high-quality projects on a global level. For example, “IL-2 Sturmovik” is still considered the world’s best combat aviation simulator in a historical setting. “Escape from Tarkov” once inspired game designer and president of the Japanese company FromSoftware Hidetaka Miyazaki to create Elden Ring – a game that received the most awards in 2022. Even those unfamiliar with the gaming world know about Atomic Heart.

Nevertheless, due to recent events, it has become much more challenging for Russian developers to access other markets. According to Ovchinnikov, one of the main difficulties is the departure of profile investors from Western companies. The problem of personnel training remains relevant since many specialists in this field have left the country.

• The task here is to encourage the system to work in a way that preserves as many talents as possible within the country, – believes the head of RVIDI. – Freedom of competition is also extremely important for the video game industry. Thanks to it, such globally renowned companies as Playrix, Gaijin, MyTona, Nival, and others have emerged in Russia. The state’s task is to keep them in the country and contribute to their development.

On the other hand, Ovchinnikov notes that opportunities are opening up for more substantial, compared to before, work with local markets:

• We collaborate with professional associations and development institutes in China, Indonesia, Iran, and Brazil, help promote our projects there, and see ourselves as a kind of bridge between our market and the markets of other countries. Plans include opening up India and Thailand for the Russian gamedev.

RVI’s visit to Iran to strengthen cooperation with the Computer and Video Game Foundation / Photo: vk.com/forgamedev

Projects in the Pipeline

This year, a Russian analogue of the foreign online service itch.io will be created to form a catalog of domestic games. In 2026-2027, the first domestic video game console is expected to appear in Russia. There is currently no information about its developers. In the same period, Moscow will host the Moscow Game Expo.

By the end of 2028, the Russian game engine Nau Engine from VK will be developed, and the production of Russian esports games will be established. An investment fund will be created to finance domestic projects.

The content of historical and patriotic orientation will continue to expand. As the head of the Internet Development Institute, Alexey Goreslavsky, mentioned, there are plans to release the computer game “Smuta” about the events of the Time of Troubles at the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries. This game was created by the Cyberia Nova studio in Novosibirsk.

• The project is interesting because it is the first video game in the Russian industry financed by the state, – says Vasily Ovchinnikov. – This experience can serve as the basis for further grant support for manufacturers. We are eagerly awaiting a project from our colleagues at 1C Games Studio – “Tales of Old Russia.”

Still frame from the teaser trailer for the video game “Tales of Old Rus’” / vk.com/1cccp_games

Various conferences involving video game producers, video game studios, hackathons, meetups, etc., are currently taking place across the country. This year, the PlayPort festival took place in Kaliningrad for the second time. Various events were held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Vologda, Novosibirsk, and Yakutia.

An essential project for RVIDI is the “Hall of Fame.” Its goal is to popularize games and immortalize the personalities that contributed to the formation of the video game industry in Russia in its current form.

Solving Tasks Together

According to Vasily Ovchinnikov, the currently developed five-year roadmap for the development of video games will contribute to the effective coordination of all program participants, so it will need constant updating.

• We invite not only industry professionals but also various institutions and funds willing to contribute to the recovery and development of the video game industry in Russia to join us, – added the spokesperson in a conversation with GORUS correspondent. – They can take on specific tasks in this area and be responsible for their implementation.

By Irina Shlionskaya