Computer clubs in Russia

Computer and video games (Russian market)

Main article: Computer and video games (Russian market)

Chronicle

2025:48% rise in computer clubs to 4,695

The number of computer clubs in the Russian Federation at the end of 2025 reached 4695, showing an average annual growth of 50% over the past three years. This is evidenced by the data of Sberbank and the consulting company Strategy Partners, which TAdviser got acquainted with in February 2026. In 2023, there were 2012 similar institutions in the country, in 2024 - 3165.

According to the developer's calculations, ON Langame in 2025 the number of such clubs increased by 29% (to about 4,000), and the number of equipped places for the game - by 19%, exceeding 100 thousand. The Association for the Development of Esports Infrastructure recorded an increase in unique visitors in the second half of 2025 by almost 20% compared to the same period in 2024. The monthly audience exceeded 1 million people. The volume of the computer club market grew by 15% and amounted to about 30 billion rubles, according to Langame.

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Фото: Freepik

The launch of the new club, according to the estimates of the founder of the Vengeance Games studio Konstantin Sakhnov, costs from 2-3 million rubles. when opening a franchise for a large network and up to 1 million rubles. in the case of a "artisanal" format. Expenses include the purchase of PCs and consoles, additional equipment, decoration of premises, rental of space in shopping centers, as well as other transaction costs.

Alexey Kolesnikov, founder of the Strike Arena network of computer clubs, notes a change in market dynamics since the beginning of 2026. If until 2025 the annual increase in the number of establishments was 30-40%, then in 2026 the trend began to decline due to the growth of investments and an increase in consumer demands. The minimum cost of opening a club "from scratch," according to the expert, increased from 4 million to 10 million rubles. In Kolesnikov's network, working in the format of VIP-rooms, the target audience is men from 25 to 40 years old with an average check of 2000 rubles.^[1][2]

2024

Revenue of computer clubs increased by 13% to ₽26 billion

The revenues of Russian computer clubs reached ₽26 billion in 2024, an increase of 13% in annual terms, and the number of such institutions in the country increased to 3.1 thousand. This became known on December 24, 2024.

The growth in indicators is confirmed by the statistics of Langame, a developer of specialized software for cyber clubs. In Moscow, the number of establishments increased by 17%, in St. Petersburg - by 23.8%.

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Фото: Freepik

The founder of Langame and the network of clubs "F5 Esports Center" Dmitry Lukin notes that the total number of playing places in Russia exceeded 84 thousand. At the same time, more than two-thirds of the clubs are located outside the million-plus cities.

SmartShell founder and CTO Roman Ivashkevich points to an average 7-11% increase in prices for cyber club services. This is the first increase in value in many years, which also contributed to an increase in the industry's revenue.

Elena Skarzhinskaya, Head of the Department of E-Sports, Faculty of Gaming Industry and E-Sports, Synergy University, emphasizes the importance of holding e-sports tournaments with a large prize fund for the development of the industry.

The development of the industry is constrained by the lack of computer clubs in the register of sports facilities of the Ministry of Sports, which limits the possibility of holding official competitions. An additional factor was the increase in the key rate to 21% in October 2024, which significantly increased the cost of loans to open new sites.

According to Langame forecasts, in 2025 the market growth will range from 10% in a pessimistic scenario to 20-25% in an optimistic one. SmartShell estimates the current number of clubs in Russia at 3.3 thousand and indicates the potential for further market growth over the next 4-5 years.

The development of the industry is also affected by the rise in the cost of personal computers and accessories due to the increase in the cost of metals, as confirmed by data from Chinese semiconductor manufacturers published by DigiTimes Asia in May 2024.^[3]

The first state e-sports center in Russia has opened. There, gamers will be able to train for free

At the end of May 2024 St. Petersburg , the first Russia state center was opened. eSports This site was inaugurated by the governor of the Northern capital. Alexander Beglov More. here

For the first time, there are more cinemas in computer clubs in Russia

The number of e-sports arenas in Russia for the first time exceeded the number of cinemas. This was announced on May 11, 2024 by Kommersant with reference to research data from Nevafilm Research.

By this date, there are 2.7 thousand e-sports arenas in Russia, while the number of cinemas is 500 less. In total, in May 2024, 73 thousand places with computers and consoles are operating in Russia. The most actively new e-sports spaces are opening in Voronezh, Omsk and Novosibirsk.

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Фото: Unsplash

As the founder of the Association for the Development of Esports Infrastructure Dmitry Lukin explained, the popularity of business is explained by high profitability. According to him, the cost of opening an e-sports club in Moscow can range from 12 million rubles. To open a medium-level institution, it will take about 25-30 million rubles. These costs include machinery, as well as repairs, which are an important aspect of creating an atmosphere.

Computer clubs in fact provide inventory, and what users will do there is already their right. Someone comes just to have a good time, and someone builds an e-sports career, participates in the most tournaments, typing experience primarily in a live game, which is then used to higher tournaments. If we are talking about the market average good yield - this is 30-40% per annum.

In 2023, the attendance of e-sports clubs amounted to about 3 million people. At the same time, due to increased competition, the occupancy rate of the halls fell. On average, one visitor leaves about 500 rubles in the institution. This amount includes the cost of the game hour, food and drinks. This level of spending makes visiting affordable, which leads to the development of the industry in residential areas, as well as accelerates the development of franchise projects.^[4]

Russian network of e-sports clubs True Gamers raised $45 million to launch 150 outlets in Saudi Arabia

In early February 2024, it became known about investing $45 million in True Gamers. The company is going to spend the funds received on the launch of 150 esports clubs in Saudi Arabia over five years. Read more here.

2023: Demand for computer clubs soars in Russia

In Russia, the popularity of gaming clubs has sharply increased. The number of e-sports venues increased by one and a half times in three years amid rising attendance, which became known in mid-June 2023.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, the number of e-sports and leisure sites in Russia is growing for several reasons. This, in particular, is the tournament component. Users come to practice Counter-Strike and Dota, gain experience and exchange it with other players. The fact is that it is quite problematic to get such a practice at home, while the clubs are large, they are warm in winter and cool in summer. In this case, you can communicate with like-minded people and receive support.

Demand for computer clubs has grown in Russia

The second reason is the price. In the current geopolitical situation, it is legally difficult to purchase both games and subscriptions to them. To do this, you have to start foreign cards.

And who will spend 5 thousand rubles. in order to pay for the Xbox Game Pass? It's easier to give 200 rubles. and play for two hours. There are no restrictions on e-sports, market participants say.

In addition, the price of equipment is high. It is very difficult to purchase a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Computer equipment is also very expensive. Therefore, come and pay 100 rubles. in order to play the super hit for an hour, which also appears in these clubs with the help of gray imports, this is a really big opportunity.

Director of the Intercontinental Esports League Alexander Gorbachenko says that in the current situation, Russia has lost the opportunity to hold the finals of world gaming competitions. Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs are one of the best in e-sports. That is, if we draw a direct analogy, this is something like our athletes who are forced to compete under a neutral flag. In this situation, the popularity of gaming computer clubs is growing.^[5]

2022: Growth of revenues of computer clubs by 1.5 times to 20 billion rubles in 3 years

Revenues of computer clubs in Russia for 3 years increased 1.5 times - from 13 billion rubles in 2019 to 20 billion rubles in 2022. This is stated in a study by the Russian developer of solutions for cyber clubs and the organizer of the annual professional conference Langame.

As Vedomosti writes with reference to this report, by the end of 2022 there were 2,300 cyber clubs in the Russian Federation against just over 1,000 three years earlier. The number of monthly visitors during the same period doubled to 2.5 million people. The main audience of cyber clubs are men, they make up 92% of guests. At the same time, the number of women - visitors to the Langame aggregator site is many times more, said the head of Langame Pavel Golubev.

In 2022, revenues of computer clubs amounted to 20 billion rubles

Girls have a clear interest in clubs, but those, in turn, have not yet managed to lure them to themselves. We associate this with the primordial masculinity of such places and increased attention to any female visitor, he said.

According to a 2022 Langame study, most often visitors to cyber clubs from 18 to 24 years old, this age category accounts for 32.7% of their audience. In addition, cyber clubs are popular with visitors aged 25-34 years (28.5%) and less than 18 years (17.6%).

In 16.8% of clubs, an hour of play costs 100 rubles, in 12.9% - 70 rubles, and in 12.5% - 50 rubles. In the most expensive places, the price tag can reach 300 rubles per hour, and the average check for all categories is collectively about 500 rubles, including both the game time itself and the payment for food and drinks. According to statistics of average attendance, the guest spends approximately 1,500-2,000 rubles a month, Langame reported.

The top three in terms of the number of cyber clubs are the Colizeum, True Gamers and CyberX networks. Their shares in Langame were not disclosed.^[6]

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