New details in the case of “Dark Project” claims against the organizers of “Igromir”

Yesterday, August 18, a video was released on the iXBT games YouTube channel, where the editor-in-chief, Vitaliy Kazunov, shared the results of his investigation into the situation. According to him, Maksim Stepanov, the head of the "Dark Project" store, initially approached him and allegedly offered money for a revealing article about the organizers of "IgroMir." Last week, Stepanov posted his accusations on VKontakte.

As a result, iXBT managed to talk not only with Shkileva but also with Daria Novotorceva, the owner and CEO of Zveno Media, a company involved in event organization, advertising placement, and booth construction. Our colleagues were particularly interested in why other "IgroMir" partners, unlike "Dark Project," did not sue KRI.

Below are the main points from the iXBT video.

Exhibition Cancellations

• In 2020, "KRI" had to cancel "IgroMir" due to the pandemic and postpone the event to the next year. However, the company still had to pay a penalty to "Crocus City Hall."
• In 2021, "KRI's" plans were also disrupted due to the extension of COVID restrictions. The company was in a difficult situation as "Crocus" was no longer willing to settle for just a penalty and demanded full prepayment, complicating the process of refunding money to visitors and partners.
• According to Shkileva, the organizers had two options: breach the contract with "Crocus" or ask partners to wait and fully pay for the venue and confirm the contract for 2022.
• The decision was made to pay "Crocus" first. Otherwise, "IgroMir" might have lost its venue. Shkileva notes that the investor and many partners accommodated the company.

Deal with MTS and Attempts to Sell "KRI"

• As reported by Kommersant, in early 2022, MTS was negotiating to purchase "KRI." However, iXBT claims that the deal was being discussed as early as the end of 2021.
• One condition was settling all debts. According to Shkileva, MTS would act as a guarantor before creditors and individuals, and all financial issues were to be resolved by March 8, 2022.
• However, after February 2022 and the withdrawal of foreign companies, the deal was canceled. "KRI" was again left with unpaid obligations to partners, who agreed not to sue and to freeze their claims until around the end of the year.
• The company tried to find a new buyer for the "IgroMir" and Comic Con Russia brands, but under the circumstances, major market players were hesitant to invest.
• "The owners of [KRI] are trying to find someone interested in the trademarks, realizing they can't sell them as a package," Shkileva recalls. "There were approaches from other companies wanting them separately. People from the film business approached for Comic Con. Others interested in conferences wanted KRI. It all took a long time because the market's fragmentation left everyone unsure of how to proceed."
• All employees of "KRI" were paid, and Shkileva remained in her position without salary.
• Shkileva notes that by the end of 2022, a potential buyer for all the brands was identified. It was supposed to be some company from the film industry. The new owner would also be obliged to compensate all creditor and individual claims.

Litigation and Bankruptcy Procedure

• In December 2022, Shkileva and the company's owners learned about a lawsuit from LLC "DIS-3" ("Dark Project") and the bankruptcy proceedings of "KRI." An independent trustee was also appointed.
• This automatically blocked and annulled all transactions during the procedure, putting an end to the company's potential sale.
• The bankruptcy process is ongoing, and part of the trustee's duties includes selling the company's assets and brands to settle debts.
• The total liabilities amount to about 30 million rubles. If the proceeds from the sale are insufficient to cover debts, the remaining balance will fall on Shkileva as the general director.
• In correspondence with iXBT, Maksim Stepanov notes that he was aware of the MTS deal and therefore delayed legal action until March 2022. "Well, since the MTS deal fell through, why not make a new deal with Lesta Games and VK to pay off the debts instead of organizing the same event under a different name [referring to 'RED EXPO']?" asks Stepanov.
• It should be noted that the transfer of Wargaming's Russian business to LLC "Lesta" was announced only in July 2022, with plans to hold "RED EXPO" two years later. In other words, at the time, the "World of Tanks" developers couldn't have been involved in the transaction. Currently, the lawsuit initiated by Stepanov is hindering the deal.

The Situation from Zveno Media's Perspective

• Zveno Media was a partner of "IgroMir" for commercial integrations, attracting new partners, and advertising placement at the exhibition. The company channeled all finances from such deals to LLC "KRI" and subsequently received its commission as an agency.
• In talks with iXBT, Daria Novotorceva noted that she was hesitant to sue after the exhibition was canceled. She was also aware of the impending MTS deal and continued to seek ways to resolve the situation.
• "I personally, as a business owner, took out a loan," says Novotorceva. "My husband helped me with this because the amount was significant [millions of rubles]. I deposited all this into the company's account and paid off debts myself."
• She added that Stepanov filed the lawsuit during the process of purchasing trademarks owned by LLC "KRI," resulting in Novotorceva "again left without her money, with loans."
• Zveno Media did not file a lawsuit because it wanted to maintain good relations with "IgroMir" partners and organizers. According to Novotorceva, everyone was in a difficult situation, and blaming Shkileva entirely was inappropriate.
• "I feel that Maksim somehow lacks all the information and operates with some facts that aren't true," concludes Novotorceva. "He pursues a specific goal, to drown Yulia and also take down everyone who worked with Yulia, to prevent them from doing new projects related to the gaming industry."

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According to the iXBT material, neither Shkileva nor other "IgroMir" organizers misappropriated partner funds, as claimed by "Dark Project."

As the director of "KRI," Shkileva did not receive a salary for the last two years. During this time, she only provided consultations to organizers of other events. She agreed to work with "RED EXPO" because "firstly, I missed it, and secondly, I have four children and I'm out of money."