In 2026, we continue to wrap up the results of the previous year, 2025, with top managers from the gaming industry and related fields. Up next is an interview with Kirill Perevozhchikov, the founder of White Label PR agency.
How was the year 2025 for your agency? Which areas developed most actively?
Kirill Perevozhchikov, White Label PR: For us, 2025 was a year of more measured decisions, both from the market and clients. There was a noticeable shift in the gaming industry towards a more conservative approach to investments: clients increasingly want to see clear value for money and predictable outcomes. As a result, we are increasingly building PR around data, analytics, and understandable metrics.
We continued to actively work with our key clients from the mobile industry and the investment sector, including Top App Games and the venture fund GEM Capital. Simultaneously, we saw significant growth in projects from independent developers in 2025. A notable case was our collaboration with Phantomery Interactive and the announcement of the remake of the cult classic quest Sublustrum for a new audience.
Sublustrum
A separate significant step was the launch of an analytical department within the agency. We began systematically developing long-term B2B and B2C strategies and analyzing new niches where we could be of use to our clients.
How has the gaming PR market changed this year in terms of channels, approaches, and tools?
Kirill: Publications in industry-specific outlets remain important, but they are no longer the entry point for the audience. Nowadays, games are discovered through Steam pages, Reddit threads, YouTube videos, and search queries. Streamers and content creators set the tone in communities: their support can make a game a hit, while a lack of interest could jeopardize it.
The visibility of the brand largely depends on whether it is mentioned in AI responses. Algorithms evaluate and describe a company based on publications and links in earned media. News, articles, reviews, expert comments, and quotes from authoritative sources directly influence how AI formulates responses about your brand.
The era of the "release spike" is over; one-day hype no longer works. Effective PR is built on systematic presence long before the announcement and constant engagement with the audience.
Games that appear natural and studios skilled in listening to and communicating with the community earn players' trust and remain visible in the market.
How has working with clients changed? Are you observing shifts in demands, budgets, or communication formats?
Kirill: AI in 2025 ceased to be something experimental and became a basic tool. Clients increasingly value that brands and products are visible in new channels and search results, leading to a rising demand for more comprehensive support.
More often, clients come to us not for a standalone PR event but for support throughout the entire launch. This includes feedback on trailers, visuals, and positioning, work with media and influencers, as well as analytics and forecasts for wishlists on Steam. This approach is tied to more careful budget considerations and more cautious decision-making.
What was crucial for a successful PR game launch this year? What practices stopped being effective?
Kirill: Success largely depends on the game itself: a quality and original product almost sells itself. But that is not enough: studios must adhere to a long-term PR strategy rather than betting on a single event like a trailer or announcement. They need to engage with the community, create live content on social media, and optimize Steam pages.
Mass mailings have stopped being effective; much better results come from targeted work with editors, journalists, and niche influencers.
What insights from 2025 could be useful for studios planning releases in 2026?
Kirill: Test ideas and hypotheses as early as possible to understand if the product is of interest to the audience and if it should be scaled. Don't wait for the release—check players' reactions at early stages. Don't forget about post-release content: games with regular updates last longer and generate steady income, while projects made solely for "release time" are quickly forgotten.
What strengthening or emergence of trends in gaming PR do you expect in 2026?
Kirill: Trends from recent years will undoubtedly continue to develop. I believe there will be sustained high demand for community work and influencer partnerships, as well as social media content.
PR will be built on constant and thoughtful audience engagement rather than one-off communications.
And, of course, the use of artificial intelligence will occupy an increasingly larger role. It's hard to imagine working without AI tools: they help quickly gather and structure information, but strategy and creativity are still crafted by people.
What goals and plans does the agency set for 2026?
Kirill: We plan to continue growing in our key area—providing top-notch PR services for the gaming industry. Parallelly, we are interested in new adjacent fields, including SaaS and payment solutions, where we already see a steady interest in our expertise.
A separate focus is on geographic expansion. In 2025, we had successful experiences working with Japanese publishers, and next year we plan to strengthen White Label PR's presence in Asia.