Moving forward with our study of what's happening in Russia's web games market. This time featuring platforms like Yandex Games, VK, and Pikabu Games.
Representatives from the platforms — Nikita Bokarev (Head of Business Development at Yandex Games), Mikhail Shcherbakov (Head of Business Development, Social Games and Media Content at VK Games), and Vadim Kazantsev (Product Manager at Pikabu Games) shared their thoughts on the following aspects:
- The overall state of the web games market in Russia
- The annual turnover of the Russian web games market
- The number of teams and games in the Russian market
- What web developers can expect
- The most popular projects in the Russian web space
- Trends in the Russian web market
- Challenges in the Russian web market
- What to expect by the end of the year and in the 2026 calendar year
1. How would you describe the current state of the web games market in Russia today?
Nikita Bokarev — Head of Business Development — Yandex Games
Just three years ago, developers from Steam and mobile stores were not interested in the web. They believed its golden years were over. Today, this segment has become clearer to developers — they come for new traffic and new revenue sources.
On one hand, engines are adapting and offering convenient tools for porting and optimization, while on the other — traffic is becoming more expensive, and even major players, including mid-core, feel the need for alternative income sources.
The changes over the past few years can be illustrated by our platform: in 2021, we had 11 million users per month; in 2024, it was over 40 million. In 3-4 years, the number of games has increased by about 15,000 — and this is with a growing share of mid-core projects monetized through in-game payments.
Acquiring traffic on the web differs from traditional mobile app purchases; it is cheaper, and player engagement levels are not critically different from native games.
But don't think the web games market is at its peak — in reality, its potential is realized at best by about 20%.
What we are seeing now is a full-fledged reincarnation of the web. Even at this stage, developers from Steam are trying to enter the web with free-to-play or buy-to-play models.
Mikhail Shcherbakov — Head of Business Development, Social Games and Media Content — VK Games
The Russian web games market today resembles a Renaissance era. Once, in the early 2010s, amidst the rapid growth of the mobile market and the rise of the iPhone and Android, social and browser projects became unnecessary — all developer forces shifted to mobile. But years of high competition, expensive marketing, and market saturation by apps played their part: more and more studios are once again paying attention to the web. At the same time, Russian platforms have become the center of attraction: VK, Odnoklassniki, and new players like Pikabu Games form a significant part of the global segment. Closed markets, sanctions, and internal reorientation have only intensified this process: the Russian web is now experiencing a second life, a new dawn where the energy and creativity of developers find fresh ground for growth.
Vadim Kazantsev — Product Manager — Pikabu Games
Today the Russian web games market is actively growing and renewing. Major platforms are expanding their audience and developing tools for developers. For example, in the first nine months of Pikabu Games' operation, MAU grew from zero to 350,000, confirming a high audience interest in web games. Meanwhile, the priority in monetization is gradually shifting from advertising to in-game purchases.
The market is reaching a new level: becoming more mature, with a sustainable player base forming. Plus, users have become more demanding, and the times of playing "everything indiscriminately" are behind us. Today, careful thought must go into gameplay, retention, and monetization — just like in traditional game development.
Games based on memes can still yield short-term profits, but interest in them is gradually waning. The main focus is shifting to projects designed for long-term support and regular updates. These are the games that capture players' attention and monetize through donations. Unfortunately, some developers have not yet adapted to these changes and continue working by old models.
2. What would you estimate the annual turnover of the Russian web games market to be today?
Nikita Bokarev — Head of Business Development — Yandex Games
The Russian web games market boasts three major players: Yandex Games, VK, and Odnoklassniki. Excluding standalone gaming domains and smaller platforms, we estimate the market to be over 12 billion rubles annually.
Mikhail Shcherbakov — Head of Business Development, Social Games and Media Content — VK Games
Accurately estimating the annual turnover of the Russian web games market today is impossible — unlike the mobile sector, with its developed analytics tools, transparent data for the web is nonexistent. Only benchmarks for the three largest platforms — VK, Odnoklassniki, and Yandex Games — are known, likely comprising the main market volume. The remainder is distributed among numerous alternative stores and individual projects, whose revenue magnitudes evade precise evaluation. By optimistic scenarios, the cumulative turnover of the Russian gaming web amounts to 40 to 60 billion rubles annually, making it significant and comparable to the largest industry segments.
Vadim Kazantsev — Product Manager — Pikabu Games
According to open sources, the volume of the Russian web games market in 2024 was estimated at 7–8 billion rubles. This is a considerable sum, particularly given that the number of truly quality platforms is limited. Exact market figures are unavailable, but several studies, such as RBC Trends and Verified Market Reports, offer these estimates. We view web games as a promising direction, which is why we launched our platform. The market's growth potential is not yet exhausted; neither audience nor revenue has peaked despite the presence of major players.
3. How many teams and games are there today?
Nikita Bokarev — Head of Business Development — Yandex Games
On our platform, there are 6,000 developer accounts and 20,000 games. But these numbers may not say much because the time when quantity was a significant factor for us is long gone.
The most important thing is the quality of the games. Even so, there's no issue with those wanting to publish: today, everyone in the CIS knows about the opportunities for collaboration with Yandex Games.
Mikhail Shcherbakov — Head of Business Development, Social Games and Media Content — VK Games
The number of companies in the Russian web games market today is in the hundreds, and the number of games has long surpassed the thousands. This has become possible largely due to a lowered entry barrier: modern engines like Unity, handy tools, and ready-made assets make it much faster and cheaper to create projects than ten years ago. As a result, the indie segment has grown actively, where small teams release high-quality and diverse content. Meanwhile, traditional mobile segment developers increasingly enter the market seeking new niches and less intense competition. Thus, the Russian web games ecosystem is rapidly expanding and becoming more diverse.
Vadim Kazantsev — Product Manager — Pikabu Games
According to public data from gaming platforms, after a large-scale moderation in 2024, the number of developers decreased from about 30,000 to 2,000 active accounts. Not all of them are in Russia; some are foreign studios or developers who have moved to other countries. Overall, we estimate the active community to be around 3,000 developers (both studios and indies). The web developer community remains large and continues to grow. Furthermore, we observe a trend of more serious attitudes towards web games from the industry as a whole.
4. What audience and average earnings can a developer expect when transitioning to the web?
Nikita Bokarev — Head of Business Development — Yandex Games
I can only share approximate numbers because everything depends on the genre and specific game.
- On average, good hyper-casual games earn $10,000–$15,000 a month.
- Casual games can make over $20,000.
- As for quality mid-core games, they also earn around $20,000.
But as I mentioned earlier, everything is relative; despite the averaged figures, we have examples of top games in different genres earning over $70,000 per month.
Concerning the audience, Yandex Games is appealing because we have an equal representation of men and women, with a majority of players aged 45+. Statistically, this is the most financially capable audience with the highest ad display value.
Mikhail Shcherbakov — Head of Business Development, Social Games and Media Content — VK Games
On average, a developer transitioning to web can expect an audience of hundreds of thousands of players with a successful placement on large platforms like VK, Yandex, or Odnoklassniki. However, in terms of revenue, the median is more modest: most projects bring in from several tens to a couple hundred thousand rubles a month. Thousands of dollars in revenue are quite realistic, but to exceed $10,000 requires a team, professional processes, and competent marketing, comparable to mobile development. Therefore, for solo indies or small studios, the web remains a good start and an experimental ground, while for established teams, it serves as a platform to build a sustainable business with the right strategy.
Vadim Kazantsev — Product Manager — Pikabu Games
The income potential for developers in the web varies greatly and directly depends on the quality of the game itself: visual elements, gameplay mechanics, narrative depth, and even current relevance (such as meme-worthiness). It's almost impossible to state an average figure.
However, here's practical advice (especially relevant for indie teams): it is crucial to publish the game on as many platforms as possible. A game may not "take off" on one site but become a hit on another.
5. What projects in terms of monetization and genres are currently most common in the Russian web?
Nikita Bokarev — Head of Business Development — Yandex Games
Let's start with the popular genres that still perform well:
- card games (mahjong, solitaire);
- traditional hyper-casual games (like bubble shooters).
Recently, a very interesting trend of growing hybrid casual games has emerged, where revenue from ads and in-game purchases is roughly evenly distributed.
At the same time, mid-core games show the most explosive growth in in-game payments ("Recipe for Happiness," "Mansion Secret," Battle Arena, and many others).
Mikhail Shcherbakov — Head of Business Development, Social Games and Media Content — VK Games
A lot in terms of genre popularity and monetization models depends on the platform and its audience.
- On Odnoklassniki, where the core audience consists mostly of adult women, casual projects perform best — particularly the classic match-3, which remains a hit, though it's gradually yielding to merge games, as it is on the mobile market.
- On VK, various social and competitive projects that leverage the platform's network effect are relevant.
- On Yandex, where the audience is younger, hyper-casual games targeting quick sessions are consistently popular.
Overall, web trends mirror the mobile segment — casual and mid-core games are popular.
Recently, there was a prevailing view among many new web game developers that advertising was the key form of monetization in the market. This has always been only partially true. New developers noticed many hyper-casual games popping up everywhere. These projects only had one form of monetization — advertising. Projects that were more complex, with a meta-focus and serious in-app purchases, were certainly much fewer, and harder to spot. But it is in these types of projects that a large portion of revenue is generated: a paying user brings significantly more to a developer than one who merely watches ads, and they also spend more time in the game.
Vadim Kazantsev — Product Manager — Pikabu Games
The most popular genres on the web are arcades, puzzles, idle projects, and farming. These formats are well-known to players but still allow creators to experiment with stories and mechanics.
As for monetization, two main approaches lead: in-game purchases and advertising. Increasingly, developers combine these, offering the player a choice to either spend money or watch an ad. This model helps smooth out seasonal audience fluctuations (like the traditional summer slump) and maintain stable income.
6. Speaking of trends, what are the most noticeable in the Russian web market?
Nikita Bokarev — Head of Business Development — Yandex Games
The main trend of the past year is the increase in the number and quality of mid-core games, where over 90% of revenue is generated from payments.
Mikhail Shcherbakov — Head of Business Development, Social Games and Media Content — VK Games
Trends in the Russian web market largely mirror global mobile market trends, albeit with a slight delay. Developers are bringing to the web the most successful mechanics and approaches that have already proven effective in mobile. For example, we see a gradual replacement of classic match-3 with merge games, which offer greater depth and engagement. Hybrid casual projects are increasingly becoming popular, combining the simplicity of hyper-casuals with the complexity of larger projects. Additionally, there is growing demand for social mechanics and live services that keep players engaged over time and create sustainable communities within platforms.
Vadim Kazantsev — Product Manager — Pikabu Games
Key trends in the Russian web games market include:
- The number of players is rising as more adult audiences engage;
- Revenue from in-game purchases is rising, while advertising revenue is declining;
- The overall advertising market is falling, so the focus of monetization is shifting towards in-game payments.
7. Are there any significant challenges currently facing the Russian web games market?
Nikita Bokarev — Head of Business Development — Yandex Games
Of course, challenges always exist. But perhaps the key and unique challenge now is attracting European and American content, building partnership relationships. This is something we have to deal with almost daily — finding solutions to streamline these processes.
Mikhail Shcherbakov — Head of Business Development, Social Games and Media Content — VK Games
The biggest challenge for Russian web, and simultaneously its main opportunity, is to lure in the vast audience that still resides in the traditional mobile market. Millions of players are accustomed to mobile, and the web needs to offer them the same convenience and quality, with additional benefits: quick access without installation, easy startup on any device, and new interaction formats. If the industry can persuade even a portion of this audience to make the switch, the Russian web games market could grow significantly. This is the key development vector for the coming years.
Vadim Kazantsev — Product Manager — Pikabu Games
Today the market faces the following challenges:
- Platforms are increasing moderation and removing low-quality projects, raising competition among developers;
- The audience is becoming more demanding and expects high-quality content, including mid-core games;
- There is a significant dependency on ad networks while ad blockers are becoming increasingly effective.
Today, developers should not rely solely on advertising. It's better to combine different monetization models and publish projects on as many platforms as possible to mitigate risks.
8. Looking at the near future: what market growth should we expect by the end of the year and in the 2026 calendar year?
Nikita Bokarev — Head of Business Development — Yandex Games
My forecast is this: the global web market will show growth of about 20-30% year-on-year in monetary volume, and the phase of active growth will last another 2-3 years.
There will be more content, users will continue to get accustomed to interacting with games within a browser environment, engines will adapt further and provide more opportunities for porting, and the share of web revenue for mobile developers and publishers will grow.
Mikhail Shcherbakov — Head of Business Development, Social Games and Media Content — VK Games
I would consider this question from a slightly different perspective – we anticipate the arrival of significant game projects on the web that have demonstrated high results in the mobile segment. If the optimistic projection for their release is met, we’ll see increased interest from players, an influx of new players, and of course, revenue growth due to balanced monetization of these projects.
So, to directly answer the question, we’ll witness growth in project quality and overall web popularity. The gaming industry always remains content-oriented: each blockbuster immediately gives a significant revenue boost and helps attract new users.
Vadim Kazantsev — Product Manager — Pikabu Games
We expect the web games market in Russia to continue growing both this year and in 2026. Users appreciate web platforms for their convenience: no installation is required to launch games; one click opens access to thousands of projects in various genres.
However, explosive audience growth is not anticipated: the "low-hanging fruits" have been gathered. Nonetheless, we predict further profitability growth. This largely depends on the developers themselves: if they plan monetization from the concept stage and focus on content quality, the market can reach a new level of profitability.