The Moscow Exchange is seriously targeting the attraction of Russian video game developers to the stock market. In my assessment, this is a logical step in conditions where classic economic sectors are already saturated, while the gaming industry demonstrates steady growth and high profitability. We are talking about more than 150 companies that could potentially become issuers.
This direction is led by Natalia Loginova, head of the issuer relations department. She confirms that the exchange is already in active dialogue with the specialized video game association, and several of its member companies have expressed interest in raising financing through a public offering. According to her, some of them have all the makings of becoming quality issuers.
Betting on a high-margin sector
The gaming business is not just entertainment, but a high-margin sector with enormous potential. Global practice confirms this: about a hundred game development companies are traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, about fifty on NASDAQ Stockholm, and about thirty more on American platforms. For Russian studios, this is not just a benchmark, but a clear example of where they can grow. Exchange financing gives them access to capital that does not depend on the whims of venture investors or bank loans.
Interestingly, the gaming segment has long ceased to be alien to blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Play-to-Earn and NFT models are changing the economics of games, allowing gamers to truly own in-game assets. Developers entering organized trading fits into the overall trend of expanding the exchange's product line and creating a new class of assets for investors.
New council and platform plans
To implement this initiative, the Moscow Exchange plans to create a specialized video game council within the "Innovation and Investment Market" sector. This platform was created specifically for young technology companies that find it difficult to break into the main market without additional support. The council will become an assembly point for future issuers and will allow the development of unified approaches to evaluating studios.
The initiative is only part of a large-scale transformation of the exchange. From September 14, the platform is extending its main trading session to ten hours across four markets, giving investors an extra hour for transactions. In addition, a system based on artificial intelligence was launched in the summer to identify manipulative transactions and insider trading — a step that increases trust in the market as a whole.
Specific candidate names have not yet been disclosed. However, according to Loginova, there are already several companies among the association's members that could potentially go public in the future.
My view: This is a landmark signal for the market. The gaming industry in Russia has long been ripe for public financing, and if the exchange can create clear and transparent listing conditions, we could see a wave of IPOs that will not only enrich investors but also strengthen the position of domestic game development on the global stage. The only question is how quickly studios will be ready to disclose financial statements and meet the requirements of public status.