The Moscow video game and animation group turns six months old in April. On March 16, Evening Moscow taught its residents how to evaluate the conditions created for producers of gaming content.
In November 2025, the Moscow Video Games and Animation Cluster was opened at the Skolkovo Innovation Center – an infrastructure facility unparalleled in the world. This is a complete ecosystem where a video game or animation studio can go all the way: from idea to launching and promoting the product in international markets – without leaving the confines of a single building. There are currently 52 companies residing in the complex: 44 video game studios and 8 animation studios.
The combination fundamentally changes the economics of the small studio. Residents have access to a motion capture studio, recording studio, photogrammetry studio, high-definition cinema hall, auditorium, e-sports arena, and exhibition spaces. This allows teams to focus on game development without being distracted by renting external locations and equipment.
In addition to access to infrastructure, residents receive tangible financial advantages. They have a preferential annual rental rate: in the first year – only 1.2 thousand rubles per square meter. In addition, residents of the group can apply for benefits from the Skolkovo Foundation, including income tax exemption, lower insurance premium rates, and more.
Area resident Daniel Moten says that when he saw an opportunity to rent a building at a discount, he applied immediately. After the cluster was opened, it took another two months to move and set up.
— When you rent a regular office in Moscow, you have to build this ecosystem yourself. Here it is already decided. I would also like to point out the high-level production infrastructure: the recording studio and cinemas for the shows. For a production studio, this is not just convenience, but a direct saving in production costs.
Another resident, Ivan Orlov, added that after the move work has become more comfortable and productive thanks to the new offices with a well-thought-out design, but he described the group’s capabilities as the most important advantage.
—Technological resources were a bonus, the most useful tool being the 8K cinema. Every visual detail and user experience detail is visible on the huge screen, taking the gameplay to the next level. “I will also allocate testing capacity, expert support and a suitable area for presentations,” he said.
One of the areas of work of the Moscow Video Games and Animation Group is to develop the capital’s international relations in the field of video games and animation and help companies enter foreign markets. In 2025, as part of the Moscow Toy Export Program, which is part of the Moscow Video Games and Animation Cluster ecosystem, 8 delegations and trade fairs were held in Belarus, Egypt, China, Japan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, India and South Korea. Participation in international exhibitions, business meetings and negotiations allowed Moscow developers to present their projects to foreign audiences and, as a result of these events, conclude contracts with a total value of more than one billion rubles.
Direct speech
Gulnara Agamova, Head of the Creative Industries Agency:
Moscow companies generate approximately 60% of the total revenues of the Russian video game sector. According to the Moscow Agency for Creative Industries, in 2024, the total income of domestic video game developers reached 178 billion rubles – more than three times the level of 2019. Of this, 104 billion rubles come from Moscow industry, an impressive result.