S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and Space Marine 2 became the most popular games among Russian pirates in 2024
XYZ School analyzed the situation with game piracy in Russia in 2024, writes the newspaper "Vedomosti," citing the study.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
According to XYZ School, the level of game piracy in the country dropped by 13% compared to 2023. In total, Russians pirated games worth 281 billion rubles over the past year.
Here are the games that topped the list of the most popular among Russian pirates in 2024:
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl;
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2;
- Black Myth: Wukong;
- Path of Exile II;
- Elden Ring.
It is reported that 57% of gamers purchased the game legally after playing the pirated version.
According to XYZ School's estimates, by the end of 2024, about two-thirds of Russian gamers could be considered pirates. This is less than at the beginning of the year. In May 2024, XYZ School stated that 74% of gamers in Russia were downloading pirated versions of games.
For the study, XYZ School surveyed just over a thousand people and extrapolated the data to 25 million Russian gamers.