The Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry announced new members of Russia's Video Game Industry Hall of Fame from the stage of the pop culture festival Comic Con Igromir. The names were revealed during the event as part of the industry body’s ongoing effort to recognize influential creators, games and players from the domestic scene.
The latest inductees were chosen through a nationwide popular vote that ran from November 5 to December 5. Organizers reported that roughly 70,000 people participated in the 2025 ballot, selecting their favorites across several categories established for the Hall of Fame.
For this year’s vote the public could choose in three established nominations: "Legendary Video Games," "People Who Influenced the Industry," and "Esports Legends." These categories reflect a mix of creative, business and competitive achievements across the Russian market and its global-facing projects.
In the "Legendary Video Games" category, the winner was Escape from Tarkov, the hard-core extraction shooter developed by Russian studio Battlestate Games. The title has become one of the country’s most prominent online projects, noted for its realism, complex player-driven economy and steadfast community.
The Hall of Fame recognized as influential people Anton and Kirill Yudintsev, the brothers who founded Gaijin Entertainment. The studio is best known internationally for War Thunder and Crossout, and the Yudintsevs were singled out for their role in building one of Russia’s largest and longest-running independent development companies.
In the "Legends of Esports" category the inductee is Magomed Khalilov, known by his handle Collapse. Khalilov is a member of Team Spirit’s Dota 2 roster and a two-time winner of The International, the game’s premier global tournament—an achievement that has made him one of the most celebrated players in Russian esports history.
Commenting on the accolade, the Escape from Tarkov team thanked players, content creators and the wider community, saying that the support, belief and energy of fans made the achievement possible and expressing gratitude to everyone who stood behind the project.
Earlier this year, in October, the Hall of Fame’s founders decided to posthumously include Valery Polyakov, the long-time editor of the magazines "Video-Ass Dendy" and "The Great Dragon," who passed away in July. That induction acknowledged Polyakov’s contributions to gaming coverage and culture during earlier stages of Russia’s industry development.
The Video Game Industry Hall of Fame was established in 2023. Since its founding it has already commemorated a number of domestic milestones and classics, adding landmark titles and projects such as Tetris, Space Rangers, Atomic Heart, Hard Truck 2, Heroes of Might and Magic V and Allods Online to the roll of honor.
Organizers say the Hall of Fame is intended to celebrate a broad range of achievements—from pioneering games and influential personalities to the competitive accomplishments that have raised the country’s profile on the global esports stage. The substantial turnout in this year’s popular vote illustrated strong community engagement and a continued appetite among Russian players to honor figures and projects that shaped their gaming landscape.
Image source: Battlestate Games
Image source: Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry