The Main Events from the Weekend (May 1-4)

The owner of Lesta Games commented on the seizure of the company's assets, Take-Two's value dropped by nearly $3 billion after the delay of GTA VI, MONOPOLY GO! generated over $5 billion in revenue, and the creators of Royal Match and Royal Kingdom received substantial investments — here's a rundown of the key events in the gaming industry over the past weekend.

GTA VI — on the left, MONOPOLY GO! — top right, Royal Match — bottom right

Malik Khatazhaev, owner of Lesta Games, gave a detailed interview regarding the seizure of the organization's assets following a lawsuit by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office. According to him, the lawsuit was unexpected — the company learned about it following the freezing of its accounts. Despite the issues, they continue to operate, striving to prove their honesty and transparency to law enforcement. Khatazhaev explained that if the court upholds the lawsuit, the company will be transferred to state ownership, but its future remains uncertain.
A U.S. court issued a new ruling in the case between Apple and Epic Games. Apple has been subjected to additional restrictions within the U.S., including a ban on charging commissions on sales outside the App Store and interfering with how developers integrate links for external payment sites in their apps. Additionally, Apple is now suspected of contempt of court, which will be investigated by the prosecution.
Epic Games updated its store policy on commissions. Starting in June, the Epic Games Store will no longer charge a commission on sales of games that earn less than a million dollars a year. Once a game's annual revenue crosses that million-dollar threshold, developers will start paying the standard 12% commission to Epic Games Store.
Microsoft announced price increases for its gaming products. For example, as of this month, the Xbox Series S 512GB is priced at $379.99 instead of $299.99, and the Xbox Series X is selling for $599.99 instead of $499.99. Accessories have already seen price hikes. Game prices will increase later — by the winter holidays. Starting in December, a number of AAA titles from Microsoft’s internal studios will be priced at $79.99 instead of $69.99. The company states that the price increase is primarily due to market conditions and higher production costs. Analysts also attribute the situation to new tariffs in the U.S.
Additionally, Microsoft reported for January-March 2025, noting a 5% increase in quarterly revenue for its gaming division, reaching $5.7 billion. Xbox content and services sales are credited with the increase, with revenue from them growing by 8% (key drivers being Game Pass, Call of Duty, and Minecraft). At the same time, revenue from console and gaming hardware sales dropped by 6%.
Rockstar Games delayed the release of GTA VI from fall 2025 to May 26, 2026. The developers explained that they need a little more time to ensure the quality expected from them. Following the announcement of the delay, the market value of Take-Two Interactive — the parent company of the studio — declined approximately by $2.9 billion to $38.74 billion.
Turkish studio Dream Games attracted strategic investments from CVC Capital Partners. The official statement did not disclose the amount, but Bloomberg sources indicate it was $2.5 billion. If accurate, the deal values the creators of Royal Match and Royal Kingdom at $5 billion.
MONOPOLY GO! earned over $5 billion in gross revenue, announced Scopely in the company’s blog. It took them two years to reach this milestone.
Developers from Warhorse Studios boasted that sales of Kingdom Come: Deliverance reached 10 million copies. The sequel is also performing well, with 3 million copies sold in just three months.
Head of Compulsion Games, Guillaume Provost, in an interview with Game Rant revealed that South of Midnight was played by a million people within three weeks. This figure includes both purchasers and Game Pass subscribers.