Top Trends in the Russian Gaming Market for 2022

The remarkable surge of the gaming industry in 2020, marked by an increase in both the number of gamers and their gaming expenditures in Russia, has led to a notable deceleration in growth rates throughout 2021. However, industry experts from QB Games marketing agency are ready to unveil the upcoming trends that await the Russian gaming market in 2022.

Trend 1: Return to Stable Growth Rates According to projections by MY.GAMES*, the growth rates of the Russian gaming market are expected to experience a significant decline in 2021, plummeting by 35 times compared to the previous year. The forecast indicates that the video game market will only witness a modest 1% increase, reaching a value of $2.24 billion. In contrast, the market experienced a far more substantial growth of 35% in 2020. However, industry experts predict that the growth rates of the gaming market in 2022 will surpass those of 2021.

Vasily Maguryan, CEO of MY.GAMES, commented on the projections, stating, “In 2021, we anticipate a modest 1% increase in the Russian gaming market, compared to 14% and 35% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Similar trends are observed in the global market, with NewZoo reporting a 1.1% decrease in industry value for 2021. These figures can be attributed to the high base effect caused by the strict lockdown measures of 2020, during which people devoted more time to gaming at home. Despite the slowdown in growth rates, the gaming industry has grown by 1.6 times in the last four years, reaching 106.5 billion rubles. We expect the market to stabilize in 2022, with the growth rates of the Russian gaming market returning to double-digit figures.”

The global market also mirrors similar dynamics, with NewZoo reporting a 1.1% decline in industry value for 2021, amounting to $175.5 billion.

*MY.GAMES is a gaming company operating in Russia and globally.

Trend 2: Mobile Games Surpassing PC Games In Russia, PC games have traditionally been the largest segment, but in 2021, they experienced a decline of 4.6% throughout the year. On the other hand, mobile games are projected to achieve a 10% growth by the end of 2021, positioning them as a close contender to PC games. If the growth in the mobile game segment continues at this pace, mobile games could surpass PC games as early as next year.

Based on the 2021 results, the following forecasts have been made:

• Revenue from PC games played by Russian gamers is expected to decrease to $1.06 billion ($1.11 billion in 2020).
• Revenue in the mobile game segment is predicted to reach $1 billion ($0.91 billion in 2020), showcasing growth.
• The console game segment is projected to experience a 5% revenue reduction to $0.18 billion ($0.2 billion in 2020).

Trend 3: Dominance of Free-to-Play (FTP) Games The Russian video game market continues to be predominantly dominated by the free-to-play segment. By the end of 2021, FTP games are expected to account for 85% of the market share, with revenue amounting to $1.96 billion. Considering that this game segment has consistently maintained its leadership position (with a market share of 83.3% in 2020 and 83.1% in 2019), no significant surprises are anticipated in 2022. FTP games will likely continue to reinforce their dominance in the market.

Trend 4: Emphasis on Esports Development Russian esports players have achieved significant success on the global stage, earning nearly $20 billion as of December 1, 2021, and ranking third in the country rankings. The number of gamers in Russia has experienced a remarkable growth since 2020.

In light of this, the Russian Government’s decision to introduce esports educational programs in various local universities by the end of 2022 is a logical step forward. These programs will focus on developing specialized skills and training game developers. This initiative will provide an additional boost to the growth and advancement of not only esports in Russia but also the entire gaming industry.

Trend 5: Games as Platforms for Hybrid Events The transition of events to online platforms has spurred the active development of unconventional platforms for hosting them. One such innovative solution has been the execution of events within games. For instance, the performance of rapper Lil Nas X in the children’s online game Roblox garnered 33 million views, while Travis Scott’s online concert in Fortnite set a record with 12.3 million gamers gathering to watch the show.

In Russia, Minecraft has gained popularity as a platform for online events. It has hosted a game conference for HSE University in a virtual replica of its campus, and theatrical productions such as The Cherry Orchard and The Minor have been staged in the virtual Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater.

In 2022, this trend will continue to gain traction in Russia, and we can expect to see even more exciting collaborations and events taking place within games.

• The revenue estimate includes earnings from Russian gamers within Russia across all platforms, excluding advertising revenue.