Looking to have your game localized into Russian? Wondering where you should go?
The Russian video game market is experiencing rapid growth, making it a highly lucrative industry. According to Nimdzi, a leading analytics company, Russian is among the top languages in which people play video games. In fact, in 2020, 22.52% of all games on Steam (7,842 games) were available in Russian, many of which were developed outside of Russia. These companies successfully entered the Russian market with the assistance of localization companies.
In this article, we will explore the key companies that you can trust to localize your game into Russian. Our evaluation is based on the following criteria:
- Partnerships with major game publishers: Collaborations with renowned game publishers signify the localizer’s professionalism, reliability, and capability to handle challenging projects. This demonstrates their stability and ease of working with industry leaders.
- Leading positions in international rankings: While not definitive, achieving high rankings in international translation and localization rankings indicates substantial financial resources and advanced process automation. However, it’s important to note that game localization may not be their primary focus.
- Provision of localization-adjacent services: Companies offering a comprehensive range of localization-adjacent services cover the entire localization cycle. By choosing such companies, clients can avoid the hassle and expense of searching for additional suppliers.
- Production resources in Russia: Having dedicated production resources in Russia is crucial. Labor costs can vary significantly between countries, and utilizing the expertise of Russian localization specialists can be more cost-effective compared to those from other regions. Moreover, having a production office in Russia ensures optimal results, as the work is carried out by residents of the target country.
By considering these criteria, you can confidently select the most suitable localization partner for your game’s entry into the Russian market.
Lionbridge
Lionbridge stands as a prominent leader in the translation and localization industry, boasting a workforce of over 6,000 employees. Renowned for their expertise, Lionbridge possesses the capability to translate and localize games into any language worldwide. Their impressive client portfolio includes esteemed brands such as Microsoft, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Good Shepherd Entertainment, Nexon, NCSOFT, WB Games, and many more.
A primary advantage of Lionbridge lies in their comprehensive coverage of the entire localization cycle. Beyond game localization, Lionbridge offers an array of services including localization testing, effectiveness analysis, game design adaptation, technical documentation translation for developers, customer support, and more.
While Lionbridge excels in various aspects, its effectiveness in promoting games within the Russian market is hindered by the absence of a branch in Russia. All of their resources are centralized in the United States.
Pros: Prominent positions in international rankings of linguistic service providers, established partnerships with leading video game brands, and the ability to provide a wide range of localization-adjacent services.
Cons: Lack of production resources specifically for game translation in Russia.
Localize Direct
With over a decade of experience, Localize Direct specializes in game localization. The company is headquartered in Switzerland and does not have branch offices in other countries. However, they maintain a substantial network of representatives residing in various locations, including the UK, Vietnam, Russia, Ukraine, and more. Localize Direct primarily relies on recruiting freelancers for their game localization processes and does not offer localization-adjacent services like some other companies on this list.
Localize Direct has collaborated with esteemed companies such as AIGRIND, RIPSTONE, Pixonic, Fuzzi Logic, Rebellion, and others.
Pros: Timely completion of projects.
Cons: Limited production resources for game translation in Russia.
Logrus IT
Logrus IT holds the distinction of being the largest game localization company in Russia, boasting a workforce of over 170 skilled professionals. Since 1997, Logrus IT has been at the forefront of game translation and localization, successfully completing over 500 projects to date. Their extensive portfolio includes renowned AAA titles such as Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed, and Watch Dogs, as well as popular mobile games like Champions Legion and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Logrus IT has established partnerships with prominent brands such as Ubisoft, Blizzard, Riot Games, Wargaming, Microsoft Xbox, NetEase Games, Moonton, Perfect World, Creative Mobile, and more. Additionally, they actively collaborate with indie game developers.
While Logrus IT’s headquarters is located in the United States, its main production office and recording studio are based in Russia. In addition to translation and localization, Logrus IT provides comprehensive services including voiceover recording, content development, and the creation of promotional materials for video games. The company also offers multilingual customer support in Russian, English, Chinese, and Korean.
Pros: Boasting a production office in Russia, Logrus IT enjoys strong partnerships with leading video game brands and the ability to provide a wide range of localization-adjacent services.
Cons: While Logrus IT is well-represented in Russia, its large size could potentially impact flexibility or personalized attention in certain cases.
Pole To Win (PTW)
Pole To Win (PTW) stands as a leading company within the Eastern European localization market, renowned for its exceptional services. PTW has established partnerships with prominent brands such as Sega, Capcom, Deep Silver, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, and more, solidifying its position in the industry. With a workforce of approximately 2,000 employees, PTW boasts its own recording studios to ensure top-notch quality.
Beyond game localization, PTW offers a range of services including multilingual customer support, localization quality assurance, and game development consulting. With ten offices spread across the United States, the United Kingdom, Romania, India, China, South Korea, and other countries, PTW maintains a global presence. However, it is important to note that PTW does not possess internal resources specifically for game localization into Russian, and thus outsources these projects.
Pros: Strong partnerships with renowned video game brands and the ability to provide localization-adjacent services.
Cons: Limited production resources for game translation in Russia.
TransPerfect
As one of the largest corporations specializing in game localization services, TransPerfect has secured its position in the industry. Renowned brands such as NCSOFT, Netmarble, Tencent, Ubisoft, and Garena are among their esteemed partners. With an impressive workforce of 5,700 employees, TransPerfect’s headquarters is located in New York City, while their offices span across the globe. Notably, they have a presence in Russia, although their core resources are situated elsewhere. It is important to mention that TransPerfect does not have in-house employees in Russia solely responsible for game localization into Russian.
Alongside game localization, TransPerfect offers a range of complementary services, including localization testing, community management, customer support, game design, and original character creation. While video game localization is not their primary focus, TransPerfect excels in mobile app and website localization, documentation translation, consulting, and HR.
Pros: Noteworthy positions on international rankings of linguistic service providers, strong partnerships with leading video game brands, ability to provide localization-adjacent services, and representation in Russia.
Cons: Limited production resources specifically for game translation in Russia.