Promotion on Social and Streaming Media for PC Games in Russia

The gaming industry releases new PC games almost daily. The success of a particular game will depend not only on its quality but also on its promotion. Social media is an effective way to do it, as gamers tend to use these platforms.

The gaming audience is diverse, but it is united by one factor: almost every gamer uses at least one social network. Advertising a new release, changing the perception of the brand, strengthening the position of the game among a more active audience, and solving many other marketing tasks are all possible through social media. Let's examine which social networks in Russia are most effective for game promotion.

Which social and streaming networks are used by gamers in Russia

Currently, Instagram* and Facebook* have lost relevance for many gamers due to the ban of these platforms in Russia. VKontakte, YouTube, Telegram, and Twitch remain universally accessible. Additionally, Steam offers a platform for gaming communities to engage in online discussions and share content. Another popular platform for gaming communities is Discord, which was introduced in 2015 and has been a popular choice for gamers ever since.

 

Diversity of game promotional strategies in VK

The VK ecosystem encompasses over 30 projects (including social networks, messengers, and application markets), which provide avenues for the promotion of a diverse range of goods and services, including games. Some of these projects are designed with game promotion in mind, while others are more universal in their scope. Both types of projects can be considered effective marketing tools.

VK Play

VK Play is a Russian gaming platform that offers a comprehensive suite of gaming services, including a streaming platform, a cloud gaming service, a game center with an extensive catalog of games, and an online store. Both content consumers and content creators use it.

VK Play offers users the ability to play, stream, and watch streams, as well as participate in tournaments. It is worth noting that in 2023 it achieved significant popularity in Russia, becoming one of the three most popular streaming platforms in the country. 

Games are marketed on the platform via live streams, paid social, and in-app promotions. Collaborations are a common occurrence, involving both gaming and non-gaming brands, as well as between VK Play and popular games. Please, refer to our article on VK Play for more information.

Kalibr game banner on the main page of VK Play with a go button

Creating a VK game community

An official social media account is the official voice of the game. The most significant benefit of it is that it allows developers to engage with users on a more personalized level.  This enables them to promote their game, provide updates, and solicit reviews and feedback from gamers.

Why is it better than a blog or website? Typically, gamers are not inclined to search for a website or read FAQs to find the answer to their question. Instead, they spend a significant amount of time on social media, where they engage with official game accounts. Moreover, users can access news, updates, and information about discounts directly from their feeds. Consequently, the interaction process becomes simpler, faster, more casual, and reciprocal, thereby increasing its effectiveness and the level of engagement with the product.

In VK, users can create a fully-fledged community dedicated to the game, with the brand setting the rules of communication. Nevertheless, the community is the optimal environment for users, with content that consistently reinforces the brand.

Age Of Water fan community in VK

Paid Social in VK

The VK ecosystem offers its own advertising tool, VK Ads, which allows users to publish advertising banners, universal ads, and "carousels." Given that advertising is offered based on analyzing the social characteristics of the profile and requests of its owner, it can generally have a positive effect. However, it is more likely to be expressed in the brand's mastery of the information field and increasing the recognition of the game, rather than in the number of downloads from VK users.

VK-targeting offers several advantages, including the availability of ready-made strategies for games and mobile applications promotion. These can be used as a basis. Another advantage is the ability to promote through game communities and attract new subscribers.

Advertising with opinion leaders and in VK communities

Within the Vkontakte social network, games are promoted through a combination of paid social and communities, including general games, related-thematic, and game-influencer groups. This is sometimes done in the native advertising format, but more often in an explicitly commercial way.

 

Stalcraft game post review on the VK page by the popular Russian gamer Marmok  

 

Opinion leaders who are not related to the game subject, but overlap with it in terms of target audience, are also involved in the promotion of video games in VK.
 

VK video about the Smuta game by Dmitry Goblin Puchkov

Video game communities on VK engage in the promotion of video games by posting advertisements in many formats, including contests, news, and fan posts.  For example, the use of cosplay and artwork also helps to increase the visibility and recognition of games.

 

Cosplay of the Zireael character from the popular game The Witcher 

Additionally, there are instances of fruitful collaborations between gaming and non-gaming brands on VK, such as the joint promotion of Atomic Heart and Burger King.

 

"Burgers and the Twin" collaboration between the Burger King brand and the Atomic Heart game 

 

VK Messenger

VK offers users the opportunity to create group chats based on the VK Messenger platform. They facilitate discussions on a range of topics, including raids, donations, game releases, and other matters of interest to players at a particular time. Group chats can also be utilized as a promotional channel for PC games. However, it's important to recognize that these chats have a distinct style and format that may not align with traditional advertising methods. It's crucial to adapt to the unique dynamics of these group chats to achieve the desired results. Direct advertising will have an unfavorable impact on the target audience.

Message from the developers of the SMUTA game  in the VK Messenger chat community 

Collaborations with YouTube gamers in Russia

YouTube is a popular video hosting service, visited by almost a third of the world's population daily. Gaming content is the third most popular category. Due to difficulties with the monetization of Russian channels, the majority of YouTube advertising comes in the form of partnerships and collaborations between brands, both gaming and non-gaming. For instance, Edison Peretz creates videos about Lego-building in addition to game content, while EugenBro utilizes the “Squid Games” setting for its Minecraft series.

Furthermore, marketing games on YouTube can involve a diverse range of channels beyond just those focused on gaming. To maximize audience reach during the Genshin Impact promotional campaign, for instance, RMAA employed unconventional strategies for YouTube advertising integrations.

 

Genshin Impact advertising integration on SlivkiShow channel by RMAA

These strategies, however, are not always chosen by the game developers themselves. Most often, the responsibility of game promotion falls to advertising collaborations with prominent YouTube gamers. You can find out about the top Russian gaming YouTubers in the 2024 rankings here. Furthermore, gamers are included in the overall YouTube ranking in Russia, which demonstrates the popularity of gaming content on the platform.

Native games advertising in Telegram channels

Telegram enjoys a significant market share in Russia, with more than 47% of the country's population currently using the platform and a growing number of new users each day. Over the past two years, Telegram's user base has nearly doubled. Messenger offers users a variety of news and author channels, as well as chat rooms on a wide range of subjects including gaming.

 

 

There are general gaming groups, private interest channels, and some dedicated to gaming, as well as fan groups.

 

April Fool's joke in Atomic Heart's official channel

It is important to note that direct advertising in Telegram is not particularly welcomed by gamers. Therefore, it is necessary to choose native publications, including through reviews in chat communities.

 

A post dedicated to a demo of The Last of Us Part 2 remaster, with the option to discuss in the chat community

Besides, prominent Russian gamers maintain their author channels on Telegram. Their audience is large enough to consider the messenger as a platform for successful integration along with YouTube.
 

 

Streaming features on Twitch

Since then, it has maintained a dominant position in the streaming platform market, with a global market share of nearly 75%. While Twitch's audience is declining in other countries, the volume of Russian Twitch viewers is not falling, but, on the contrary, is growing. In 2024, their number increased by 24%.

In March 2024 alone, 595 advertising placements were made on Twitch with the help of 320 streamers, reaching 35 million viewers.

Affiliate ads on gamer pages

Advertisements for games are frequently observed on letsplay and streaming Twitch channels, often in the format of affiliate advertisements on gamer pages.

BetBoom, Nuw, Fissure ad integrations by gamer Nix on Twitch

Advertisements for games are frequently observed on letsplay and streaming Twitch channels, often in the format of affiliate advertisements on gamer pages.This type of placement offers the advantage of reaching a diverse audience, which is optimal for brands whose target audience is "blurred" and difficult to segment.

Online streams

The promotion of goods and services is becoming increasingly common through game streams. This approach is effective because it allows for communication with the viewer. Please refer to our current material for a list of the top TV streamers in Russia.

 

 

Native post in the Twitch Stream chat

Moreover, Twitch advertising opportunities extend beyond promotional blocks to include postings in the stream chat, drawings during live broadcasts, and the use of branded merchandise. The latter, when displayed alongside a charismatic streamer, is likely to garner considerable interest from the target audience. The effectiveness of promotion with the participation of a streamer will depend on his ability to engage with the audience in live broadcasts and on his professional gaming skills.

Streamers going on TV and offline

Twitch is evolving beyond its initial focus on streaming. It is gradually expanding into offline activities as well. As an illustration, the SLAY award for Russian main game influencers was developed on the Moscow stage last year, and a large-scale show, "Become a Streamer" was broadcast by one Russian channel, with Bratishkinoff as the host.

 

Casting program "Become a streamer on TNT"

Engagement tools in Discord

Approximately ten years ago, this platform was a popular choice among gamers due to its voice chat capabilities and other features conducive to joint raids. Over time, the Discord audience grew, with gamers representing a significant share. This is due to the platform’s capabilities for organizing joint activities, communication, and even the development of video games. Last year, Discord began offering game content, allowing some users to create games with their applications and others to play them on Discord servers. 

The Discord audience is highly diverse, comprising men and women from a range of social, age, and geographic backgrounds. They are united by their shared passion for gaming.

Online tournament competitions

PC games are promoted on Discord through tournament competitions and engaging activities.
 

Online tournament announcement on Discord

Cybersport tournaments are held in various disciplines, and there are special templates for their creation, which can be used to publish the event on the Discord server in a matter of minutes. Tournaments can be either solo or team-based, and communication between participants is facilitated through text, voice, and video modes.

Collaborations with gamers

Discord servers frequently host collaborations with ambassadors and blockchain platforms, as well as drawings and contests for active community members. Chats on Discord can be conducted in text and voice mode, or video conferencing form. Users can both create their own chats and join existing ones.

Merch giveaway on the Discord server Sirius Sasha Kapustina

To facilitate communication with the gaming community, developers utilize chat rooms with moderators to announce games, updates, streams, and Q&As with the community.
 

 

Besides, YouTube gamers and VK communities collaborate closely in Discord, extending invitations to users to join the communities.

YouTube contacts of gamer Marmok, with a link to the Discord server

Strategic conclusions

Is it a sound strategy to utilize these various media outlets to promote the game in Russia? Yes, if you select the most relevant platforms and tools for your product on each social network. 

However, the most effective use of social networks in Russia to promote games will be achieved through an integrated approach that considers the unique characteristics of each platform and the preferences of its users. We recommend entrusting this task to RMAA experts, who have extensive experience in the game industry. Please see our case studies here. 

It is important to recognize that trends are constantly changing, as are user demands. To stay informed about the latest industry developments, please subscribe to our blog by completing the form below.

 

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*Meta Platforms Inc. projects, the activities of which are banned in Russia.