According to statistics announced by the organizers of the “Moscow International Week of Video Games”, which took place from November 27 to 30, over 150 thousand people visited events at more than 330 venues in the capital over four days. Of these, 4.6 thousand participated in the largest Russian esports tournament — a national record.

Additionally, over 730 internet clubs from all over Russia joined the events. In total, around 116 thousand people took part in online activities related to the “Moscow International Week of Video Games”.

The largest and most visited venue was the “Gaming Exhibition”, which took place from November 28 to 30 at the Cluster of Video Games and Animation in Skolkovo. As part of the business program, about 200 experts from more than 20 countries (including Russia, China, India, Middle Eastern countries, Latin America, and Southeast Asia) participated in discussion panels, lectures, interviews, and master classes.

Moscow studios held 250 meetings with potential partners and investors, and dozens of contracts are currently being discussed, aimed at bringing domestic products to new markets. Among the most significant agreements are the document on cooperation between VK Play and AKI, the agreement between AKI and the “Youth” college, and the “memorandum of understanding” between APRIORI (Association of Professionals in the Game Operations and Development Industry) and several large Chinese companies.

The majority of the exhibition featured stands of various games and companies involved in their development. 1C Game Studios took the opportunity to announce the release window and “early access” for their new flight simulator “Korea. Il-2 Series”. The new installment of the “Il-2” franchise will be released in early access in the spring of next year.

In addition to 1C developers, large companies such as 4game, Game Art Pioneers, and Cyberia Nova showcased their games at the exhibition. Cyberia Nova even released a new patch for their game “Earthly Cathedral” in time for the event, allowing players to choose the difficulty level. The indie zone featured projects from small teams, including students from MIREA and the Institute of Business and Design.

To attract visitors, many booths held lotteries or simply gave away sweets or stickers for social media subscriptions. Several tournaments for various online games, including League of Legends and Point Blank, were also held in Skolkovo. In a neighboring hall, a game library from Hobby World operated on Saturday and Sunday, allowing attendees to try out the most popular board games under the guidance of knowledgeable hosts who could explain the rules.

Alongside the Skolkovo venue, the MIREA and B&D institutes (yes, that same Institute of Business and Design) held their own game exhibitions. On the night of November 29 to 30, a series of entertainment events (including tournaments, retro gaming, and performances by famous DJs) called “Night of Video Games” took place at the VK Play Arena internet club.

The “Moscow International Week of Video Games” also paid attention to virtual reality. The company Voltep created a digital twin of the “Amalthea” business center (home to part of the Cluster of Video Games and Animation) in one of its spaces during the exhibition, where everyone could immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the video game industry without leaving home.

Considering that this was the first event of its kind, there were some hiccups (information on the schedule and booth locations was quite scarce and sometimes even inaccurate), but overall, most participants rate their impressions of the “Moscow International Week of Video Games” positively. They hope that in the future, we will see many more such events with even better organization.