The Russian gaming industry in 2025 showed a strange picture: there is money in the industry, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to earn it. Revenue for large players is growing, but profits are not always.
The flagship of the market, Lesta Games, increased its revenue to 29 billion rubles (+17%), but at the same time lost some of its profit: it decreased to 10.1 billion.
Other companies have an even greater spread. Astrum Entertainment showed a sharp drop in revenue in one of its legal entities, but at the same time a multiple increase in profits. Car X Technologies went into the red in both directions, while FOGEYM, on the contrary, was able to get out of the loss and increase revenue.
This instability is not accidental. Game development is rapidly becoming more expensive: costs have increased by up to 30%, and competition is intensifying. In some segments, the market is already "clogged" - there is simply no one to sell to anymore.
As a result, companies are betting on the old model: raising prices and retaining the audience. And it works - most players hardly react to the price increase.
But this approach has a limit. The market continues to grow - up to 208 billion rubles in 2025 and potentially up to 271 billion by 2030 - but it is increasingly running up against not demand, but the economics of production.
Games are becoming more expensive not only for players, but also for those who make them.