The Moscow Exchange is actively preparing to attract Russian video game developers to the stock market. According to my data, more than 150 companies in the gaming industry are on the exchange's radar. This step is part of a large-scale strategy to diversify the issuer base and create new opportunities for investors.
The work is being carried out in close contact with the industry video game association. Several of its member companies have already expressed interest in raising financing through the exchange. In my assessment, some of them have high potential to become quality issuers—with transparent structures and clear business models.
Betting on a high-margin sector
The gaming business is a classic example of a high-margin industry. Global practice confirms this: about 100 gaming companies are listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, around 50 on NASDAQ Stockholm, and roughly 30 more on U.S. exchanges. For Russia, these figures serve as a benchmark, demonstrating enormous untapped potential.
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have long ceased to be exotic in the gaming segment. New technologies, including Play-to-Earn models and NFTs, are already reshaping the game economy, transferring ownership of in-game items to gamers themselves. Developers entering organized trading is a logical continuation of this evolution.
Exchange financing is not just an alternative to venture rounds or loans. It is an opportunity for studios to obtain long-term capital, and for investors—access to a new class of assets with high growth potential. The video game association acts as a bridge, selecting candidates ready for financial disclosure and the requirements of public status.
New council and infrastructure changes
The Moscow Exchange plans to create a specialized council for video games within the "Innovation and Investment Market" sector. This platform is tailored to young technology companies that find it difficult to enter the main market without additional support.
The initiative is only part of broader infrastructure transformations. Starting September 14, the main trading session across four markets will expand to 10 hours, giving investors an extra hour for operations. In parallel, the exchange is strengthening oversight of trading integrity: an AI-based system was launched this summer to detect trades with signs of manipulation and insider trading.
The video game council is expected to become a gathering point for future issuers in this segment. It will help develop unified approaches to valuing studios and prepare them for listings. Specific candidate names have not yet been announced, but some association members already have the potential to go public in the future.
My conclusion: this is a timely and strategically sound move. The gaming industry in Russia is undervalued, and a stock exchange listing could serve as a catalyst for its growth. However, success will depend on the ability of studios to adapt to the requirements of the public market—transparency and corporate governance are critically important here. If the Moscow Exchange can build an effective bridge between investors and developers, we will see the emergence of a new significant sector on the domestic stock market.