"Community is one of the key words in the industry," says Dmitry Amroyan from Cubic Games on the results of 2024

We continue to sum up the results of 2024 with gaming (or gaming industry-related) teams and experts. Next up is an interview with Dmitry Amroyan, CEO of the studio Cubic Games.

How was the year for the company? What achievements would you like to highlight?

The year was full of ups and downs. As probably experienced by the whole gaming industry in these years. We tested approaches and conducted various experiments. The most striking and memorable event for us was the launch of the ported version of our flagship, Pixel Gun 3D, on PC, which we announced to the media this spring. Numerous positive reviews, incredible online presence on the very first day, and good game metrics kept smiles on our team's faces for a long time. Now we continue to work on our flagship and strive to make the gaming experience even better for our players.

How has the situation in the gaming market changed from your perspective?

The market continues to consolidate. There is less room for medium-sized players, and it is increasingly difficult for relatively small studios to release new products and achieve their goals. If you look at the top launches this year, most of them are well-known franchises or titles from major studios with large communities. I think "community" is one of the key words in the industry for the coming years. Whoever learns to work more efficiently and entertain their players will have a serious advantage.

How was the year for the genre in which you operate?

The shooter genre follows the trends of the growing market, but some trends have a stronger impact on the genre. For example, it's becoming increasingly difficult to break into the top—right now the entire chart is dominated by "big players."

Also, I often encounter attempts by developers to "cross" shooters with games from other genres. This is driven by developers' desire to offer a fresher and more interesting gaming experience.

Another notable trend in the gaming market is the use of AI to accelerate and reduce production costs. There's nothing new here—many companies use AI, but we, for example, try to do it wisely: assessing what is beneficial and what can be set aside for now.

What strengthening or emergence of trends in your niche do you expect in 2025?

I believe that in 2025 we will see new genres that will represent a hybrid of existing ones.

Other trends from this year in shooters will continue: more projects based on major franchises, the search for interesting solutions at the intersection of genres, and an increase in the number of teams focusing on community engagement.

What are the company's plans for the coming year?

We strive to stay on top of both market and genre trends, investing a lot of effort and resources into this. 2025 will be no exception. As for business news and announcements, I would like to keep it under wraps until about the end of the first quarter of next year.