"Publishers are on the rise, and the competition in Steam is very noticeable," Dmitry Muratov from Skystone Games on the outcomes of 2025

We continue to wrap up 2025 with gaming teams. Next up is an interview with Dmitry Muratov, head of publishing at Skystone Games.

How was the year 2025 for your business? What achievements stand out? What conclusions have you drawn?

Dmitry Muratov, Skystone Games: Skystone Games has grown significantly. Extremely successful releases, particularly Tiny Bookshop, and our collaboration with ByteDance had a major impact on this growth.

Tiny Bookshop

In your view, how has the publishing situation changed in the gaming market?

Dmitry: In the years following COVID, and specifically through 2025, things haven’t improved. There are increasingly more publishers, and the competition on Steam is palpable, with dozens of games releasing alongside yours any given day. Steam Next Fest, for example, has nearly ceased to be an important event for small to mid-sized games. In 2025, many projects involved with AI, vibe coding, and various slops emerged... In short, more clutter is appearing, suffocating the market even more. Connections within the industry (both with influencers and media) and the virality of your chosen projects play an increasingly crucial role.

Have the practices for working with developers changed? Is it easier or harder to work with them? Have they changed in any way overall?

Dmitry: Much easier. It's very challenging for games to find publishers. Everyone is scrutinizing projects even more carefully than before.

How did the year turn out for the niche where you typically release games?

Dmitry: Speaking of cozy games, the strongest project this year, discounting gacha games, which perform very well on mobile platforms like Ace Craft, was our bookstore simulator Tiny Bookshop. Its sales will surpass a million copies in the first half of 2026.

What conclusions and lessons from 2025 would you highlight for developers preparing for release?

Dmitry: I'll highlight four.

• Don’t announce the release date too far in advance.
• Be prompt with submitting builds for certification and Steam review. This year saw many funny and sad situations concerning this, affecting both publishers and developers.
• Localize your game. Even if with the help of AI, localize it.
• Know the right months for release.

What trends strengthening or emerging in your niche do you anticipate in 2026?

Dmitry: I anticipate strengthening of specific genres, especially on Steam. I believe that in 2026, cozy games will grow even more robust, casino games will start popping up everywhere, and the theme of unique cooperative games will finally be explored. Peak is just the beginning.

What are the company’s plans for 2026?

Dmitry: To publish our first AA games (starting with Mistfall Hunter) and see if we like this niche, along with the Triple-I niche, or if it’s better to stick with safe products that are sure to generate revenue.

Mistfall Hunter