In 2023, Russians downloaded unlicensed copies of games worth more than 324 billion rubles. 73% of gamers have played at least one pirated copy on their computer. This is stated in the study of the XYZ school, according to the results RB.RU has read.
The most popular video games in the gray segment were Atomic Heart, Hogwarts Legacy and Baldur’s Gate 3: more than 84% of pirates downloaded at least one of them.
Last year, players tested pirated copies of games, after which they were able to purchase the official version. Therefore, the actual damage to the industry may be slightly less, but it is impossible to give an exact figure.
The growth of piracy is due to the massive refusal of global platforms and developers to work with Russian players and companies, Gadzhi Makhtiev, owner of the video game portals “Kanobu” and “Igromania”, explained to Vedomosti.
At the same time, the Russian gaming industry showed growth at the end of 2023: the turnover of gaming platforms increased by 68%. A record number of game releases with scores above 90 appeared on the market. The average check for players increased by 4%, up to 523 rubles.
Author:
Karina Pardaeva
Source: RB
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
