We continue summarizing the results of 2025 with game-related (or gaming industry-related) teams. Next in line is an interview with Alena Linnik, the Chief Operating Officer of the Association of Professionals in the Game Operation and Development Industry (APRION).
How did 2025 turn out for the organization as a business structure?
The year 2025 was significant, eventful, and in many ways pivotal for APRION. During this period, the association transitioned from sporadic initiatives to a more systematic model of working with the industry. We strengthened the analytical division, expanded our international agenda, and reinforced APRION’s role as one of the key industry platforms for dialogue between business, government, and the professional community.
In essence, 2025 marked a phase of institutional consolidation for APRION, with sustainable partnerships and a long-term development strategy.
What accomplishments from the year would you like to highlight?
The main focus of APRION in 2025 was research. We view analytics as the foundation for meaningful dialogue between the government and the industry. Throughout the year, several analytical studies were conducted, including a major research on support measures for the video game industry and an IT landscape study of the field. Companies, experts, and specialized organizations participated in the preparation, and the research materials are used in practical discussions with regulators and partners.
An additional focus was APRION’s participation in industry and cross-industry events. In 2025, the association regularly acted as the organizer and moderator of discussions dedicated to market development, staffing issues, international cooperation, and industry regulation. It is important for us to keep conversations in a substantive and constructive realm, helping participants reach practical conclusions.
Media engagement significantly increased. APRION representatives participated in over 100 public events — panel discussions, conferences, public talks, and regularly commented on key industry processes through interviews and authored columns. Our media mission is to explain industry changes accessibly, helping audiences better understand its development.
A significant area remained our work with specialized agencies and public councils. Throughout the year, APRION participated in discussions on initiatives: a specialized video game legislation, IT tax benefits, and an experiment with game labeling. We provided analytical materials and proposals on behalf of the industry, contributing expertise to decision-making.
A noticeable track for the year was the international direction. APRION participated in China Joy, where business meetings with foreign partners were held, and cooperation agreements were signed, setting the framework for further interaction with international markets, primarily in Asia. Notably, the “Moscow International Game Week” (MIGW), in 2025, became a significant point of international cooperation. During MIGW, agreements with foreign companies and associations, including Chinese partners, were signed, cementing MIGW’s and APRION’s roles as convenient industry platforms for launching international initiatives.
How did the Russian consumer gaming market change in 2025?
In 2025, the Russian consumer gaming market finally emerged from the adaptation phase, achieving more stable and predictable development. The market maintained its volume and demonstrated moderate growth without sharp fluctuations. A key change was the reduced dependence on individual global platforms and enhanced roles for local ecosystems and distribution channels.
Player behavior also evolved. The audience became more rational: increased attention was paid to price, quality, and project reputation. There was a continued rise in demand for mobile and PC games, especially cooperative and service formats with long life cycles. Interest in Russian projects grew, but the decisive factor remains not the game’s origin but its quality and user-friendliness.
Overall, the consumer market became more mature and conscious, creating a stable foundation for further development.
What key changes occurred in domestic development and publishing in 2025?
Studios began planning projects more often with the full life cycle in mind—from prototyping and testing to post-launch support. The roles of production, analytics, and data work notably increased.
Local publishing significantly strengthened. Russian publishers and platforms assumed roles previously handled by foreign partners: promotion, analytics, community management, localization, and project support. This simplified market entry for indie and mid-sized studios, allowing them to bring products to audiences faster while maintaining control over project development.
Simultaneously, the focus on international markets became more pragmatic and selective. Studios and publishers became more cautious in choosing markets and presence formats, focusing on specific regions and partnerships. As a result, the domestic game development industry became more predictable and oriented toward long-term development.
What trends do you anticipate in the Russian gaming industry in 2026?
In 2026, the industry will transition from stabilization to more sustainable growth. The focus will shift to developing proprietary IP, establishing long-term business models, and strengthening the roles of platforms and ecosystems. Infrastructure solutions—distribution, analytics, monetization tools, and developer support—will gain increasing importance.
Artificial intelligence will become a standard tool for production and live-ops, accelerating processes while maintaining attention to quality and intellectual property rights. Interest in user-generated content as an audience retention tool will continue to grow. Export activity will concentrate on BRICS, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East markets. Amid high price sensitivity among audiences, developers will seek more flexible and diverse monetization models.
What are the organization’s plans for 2026?
In 2026, we plan to develop APRION as one of the leading analytical and expert platforms in Russia’s gaming industry. It is important for us to continue working with data and research that help the industry and the government to make informed decisions, and to help market participants better understand the structure and dynamics of the field.
We maintain a distinct focus on the international direction, particularly on developing sustainable relationships with Chinese and other Asian partners. We see APRION as an infrastructure hub that helps establish long-term professional interactions, expertise exchange, and the launch of joint initiatives, rather than one-off projects.
Within the country, one of the goals will be further developing the expert community. We plan to expand educational and professional formats as spaces for practical experience exchange, discussing industry changes, and preparing specialists in demand by the market. Another direction remains working on infrastructure initiatives and establishing APRION as one of the systemic sources of data and analytics on Russian game development.
Implementing these plans is impossible without the support and dialogue with governmental and institutional partners.