"Yandex" explained the reasons for acquiring "IgroMir," the absence of CGI in its strategy, and its stance on "RED EXPO"

In early February, it became known that Yandex acquired the rights to the trademarks "IgroMir" and Comic Con Russia. Accordingly, App2Top spoke with a representative of the corporation about the reasons for this deal and why they didn't buy KRI.

The IgroMir Exhibition in 2019

Alexander Semyonov, App2Top: Why did Yandex decide to enter the gaming events market?

Yandex: Our logic is clear and explainable. "IgroMir" is the first and most significant festival in the gaming industry in Russia. It garnered enormous interest from participants, users, and fans of computer technology and games, bringing together this large audience. Now we're bringing the festival back to the people who miss this familiar venue for meetings and discussions, who long for large-scale festivals with interesting and cool content. A significant number of companies can present their products and projects at IgroMir (and also at the Comic Con).

The computer and gaming industry has long been part of the global entertainment industry, and the computer technology market has gone beyond just game enthusiasts—both worldwide and in Russia. The audience size of events like IgroMir is massive. And this is an audience we're interested in: According to estimates by the online school XYZ (part of Ultimate Education), in 2024, Russian gamers spent 204 billion rubles on in-game purchases, averaging 12,000 rubles per person.

What can we expect from the future of IgroMir? Will it be held in the same format as before, or do you plan to rethink its formula?

Yandex: We believe that the format of a "live" event fits well with the concept of IgroMir, which is scheduled for this fall. We're selecting the most interesting aspects to give festival guests a unique opportunity to get acquainted with industry novelties, meet personally, communicate, and discuss their favorite games and interesting topics—all in one place. This simply isn't possible when the event is held online.

We're currently starting to shape the festival program, negotiating with partners, game manufacturers, and other potential participants of IgroMir. We hope that most of them will become part of the revived festival this year.

IgroMir originally grew out of KRI, so should we expect a B2B section at IgroMir?

Yandex: We're currently exploring and discussing various formats for the future event, talking with potential participants and partners. We'll definitely share the details once there's something to announce.

By the way, why didn't you acquire KRI "as part of the deal"? From the outside, it would seem quite logical to add three brands to your portfolio at once.

Yandex: We acquired the trademarks that we needed. Acquiring the KRI brand was not part of our strategy.

Do you view "RED EXPO," which is partially organized by the former IgroMir team, as a direct competitor?

Yandex: In preparing the festival, we work with teams previously involved in organizing Comic Con and IgroMir. Regarding "RED EXPO," we want to convey to market players that our goal is the rebirth of Comic Con and IgroMir as a major platform for collaboration, not competition. The festival's revival is a highly anticipated event for the audience, and we sincerely hope that, together with all major companies, we'll shape the festival's content to present the best and exclusive content. Yandex is open to cooperation, partnership, and integrations with different companies.