All About Russian Gamers
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Game publisher and developer Astrum Entertainment conducted a survey among 2865* Russian gamers to find out their gaming habits and preferences. More than half of respondents use a PC or laptop with average specifications, and only 6% dream of buying a console. At the same time, 87% of gamers play to relieve stress, and almost 9 out of 10 players are ready to spend up to four thousand rubles to buy a licensed game.
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Platforms
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According to the results of the survey, PC remains the favorite platform among Russian gamers. Mobile gaming is also popular — 11% launch games on smartphones or tablets. Most play on more than one platform, and more than half of the respondents use a PC or laptop with average specifications, 38% described their setup as powerful, 12% as weak. And 28% of the respondents are not interested in upgrading.
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TOP 4 gaming platforms among Russian gamers
Average PC / laptop - 54%
Powerful PC / laptop - 38%
Smartphone / tablet - 11%
Weak PC / laptop - 12%
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Only 1 in 10 gamers spends time in computer clubs, and most of those who come there do so occasionally — once a month or less. They mainly use gaming clubs to get together with friends and enjoy a change of scenery. Only 15% of gamers come to clubs due to the inability to play at home. Russian gamers not only play, but also follow streams: 61% watch streams at least several times a month, 12% — every day. About a quarter of viewers use streams to improve their gaming skills by following the experience of other gamers. Yet most often, they just like the streamer’s personality — this reason was mentioned by 38% of the respondents.
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How often Russian gamers watch streamsㅤ
Several times a week - 26%
Several times a month - 23%
Less than once a month - 22%
Never - 17%
Every day - 12%
Spendings
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The survey showed that gamers are ready to invest in their hobby as much as possible. Only 19% play exclusively free-to-play games. More than 60% buy licenses, and every seventh respondent does so more than once a month. The absolute majority of the respondents — 85% — are ready to spend up to four thousand rubles on a licensed game. This is noteworthy, given that 40% of the respondents claimed to earn less than 60 thousand rubles a month.
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TOP 3 reasons for buying licensed games among Russian gamersㅤ
License gives many possibilities - 43%
Material and moral support for the developer - 28%
Never buy and only play free-to-play games - 20%
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Another expense item for gamers is their setup. As for platforms, the most desired future purchase for most Russians is a powerful PC or laptop (56%). Other popular “wants” are far behind: about 7% would buy a VR headset, 6% — a console of the latest generation. Almost half of the respondents (45%) are ready to spend more than 40 thousand rubles at once on a new platform.
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TOP 4 gaming platforms Russian gamers would like to purchase
Powerful PC / laptop - 56%
Happy with their current platform - 28%
VR headset - 7%
PS5 / Xbox Series X - 6%
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As for additional gaming devices, Russian gamers most often buy them out of necessity — when the old one stops working (67%). For 27%, new accessories or components become an opportunity to enjoy themselves, but only 2% buy new items for the sake of new items. More than half of the respondents (54%) spend up to 10 thousand rubles on devices at a time, but almost 8% pay more than 100 thousand.
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TOP 3 reasons why Russian gamers buy gaming devices
Previous device is broken - 67%
To enjoy themselves - 27%
To have new items - 2%ㅤ
Preferences
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87% of gamers use games to relax and relieve stress. At the same time, many claim that gaming brings them not only entertainment, but also other benefits: every third learns something new from games, every fourth appreciates the social aspect and communication, and every fifth hones their skills (e.g. learns English).
For the absolute majority of the respondents (75%), the actual process and mechanics are the most important aspect of the game. Plot and characters are in second place (51%), while graphics and visual effects are critical for less than half of gamers (46%).
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TOP critical aspects of video games for Russian gamers
Gameplay and mechanics - 75%
Plot and characters - 51%
Graphics and visual effects - 46%
Multiplayer and social interaction - 38%
Realism and historical accuracy - 23%
Challenges - 22%
Music - 21%
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Only half of the respondents regularly follow the news of the domestic gaming industry or play popular Russian projects. At the same time, 3 out of 4 gamers want to see more references to Slavic culture and Russian history in games (e.g. Atomic Heart).
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In-game behavior
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The publisher and developer also studied players’ in-game behavior and preferences in the tactical shooter Warface. According to the in-game statistics, almost every third Russian player (30%) plays PvE mode once every five matches. Gamers’ favorite PvE special operations are Fjord (34%), Black Shark (25.3%), and Icebreaker (25.2%). At the same time, 25% of gamers prefer only PvP battles.
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TOP 3 PvE SO in the shooter Warface preferred by Russian gamers
Fjord - 34%
Black Shark - 25.3%
Icebreaker - 25.2%
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Meanwhile, their favorite PvP mode is Team Deathmatch, which is preferred by 71% of the respondents. It is followed by the tactical Plant the Bomb (50%) and the dynamic Meat Grinder (48%). The most popular game maps are Hangar (54%), Suburbs (46%), and Tank Farm (43%).
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TOP 3 PvP maps in the shooter Warface preferred by Russian gamers
Hangar - 54%
Suburbs - 46%
Tank farm - 43%
*Methodology
The survey research was conducted among players of Astrum Entertainment projects using online questionnaires in September 2024. The survey involved 2865 gamers from Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Republic of Tatarstan, and Leningrad, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk, Rostov, Samara, Sverdlovsk, and Chelyabinsk regions. The core audience consisted of people aged 18-59 who played Astrum Entertainment games daily.
Astrum Entertainment is one of the biggest Russian developers and publishers of PC and mobile games. The company's portfolio includes more than 20 games, including such hits as Warface, Perfect World, Allods Online, and Atomic Heart. Astrum Entertainment works with products of different genres: MMORPG, shooters, strategies, and others. The company's highly professional team consists of pioneers of Russian game development.