2022 in Game Development: Kirill Zolovkin of Heart Core on Relocation and the Creation of Gripper

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This year, Russian game development has faced serious challenges. Sanctions, economic difficulties, and political instability have become the main factors influencing this industry. Many gaming companies have closed, while others have been forced to relocate their operations to other countries. These changes have significantly impacted the development and competitiveness of Russian game developers, calling into question the future of game development in Russia.

Many indie developers have begun to consider relocation, and Kirill Zolovkin, director of Heart Core studio, is among them. The game designer has been working for several years on the project Gripper—an action RPG in which the player controls a biker named Non. Non's main goal is to fight giant bosses, personifying various stages of loss, in order to win their hearts and save their loved ones. This project combines elements of a deep story and dynamic gameplay, making it appealing to both players and critics.

On the way to release, this game became an attempt for Kirill to make sense of the loss of family and friends. The project repeatedly faced production difficulties and threats of closure. The most recent episode occurred in the spring of 2022, when the Heart Core studio lost all business contacts and was forced to evacuate abroad. This situation underscores the difficult conditions in which the project was created and intensifies its emotional component.

During our conversation in April, Kirill expressed cautious optimism and hope for the successful completion of the Gripper project. In December, we contacted the game designer again to find out his impressions of the past year. Kirill's answers to our questions are presented in this interview.

This year, Heart Core Studio faced several significant challenges. One of the main difficulties was adapting to rapidly changing market conditions. The pandemic and economic fluctuations impacted demand for the studio's services, requiring a review of business strategies and process optimization.

Furthermore, the studio faced the need to implement new technologies and tools to improve efficiency. This included both employee training and the integration of innovative solutions into workflows.

An equally important challenge was maintaining a high level of project quality within a limited time and resource constraint. The studio continues to strive to create unique content that meets the high standards and expectations of its clients.

Thus, despite all the difficulties, Heart Core is actively working to improve its services and find new opportunities for growth and development.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been significant changes. In particular, we moved our operations entirely to Uzbekistan, and our entire production office now operates from this country.

Fear of the unknown became the main challenge for us. None of us had any idea about Uzbekistan, as we were used to living in large cities such as St. Petersburg and Moscow. This contrast with the familiar urban environment created a certain wariness and required adaptation to new conditions.

We had no clear idea of ​​life in this country, its customs and traditions. We were unfamiliar with the diversity of people, delicious cuisine, rich culture, and fascinating cities. All these aspects remained a mystery to us, and we set out into the unknown.

In this regard, we remain true to ourselves: our lives continue to intertwine with the story of the game. The main character, Non, also leaves home and sets out on a journey, following the calling of his heart, as he is a biker. He returns only after his mother sends him a message with an appeal: "Never come back." This plot element highlights not only the desire for freedom but also the complex relationships with family, adding depth and layers to the story.

When Non returns, he finds his world shattered. He sees the Earth divided into islands, overrun by terrifying mechanical colossi. Our world, too, was fractured, as people were forced to migrate due to sanctions, and we didn't know how to explain to them that we were now faced with a risky and possibly fateful decision. This situation requires courage and unity to face the challenges and restore harmony in society.

What prompted the decision to make such a drastic change?

I believe the main fear was being left without anything. Spring was a time of drastic change, and planning anything more than a week in advance seemed impossible.

Previously, personal issues, such as coping with the loss of a loved one, have lost their relevance for many people. Now, global problems are coming to the fore, causing anxiety and uncertainty. Questions about the possibility of a nuclear war or the prospect of isolation behind the Iron Curtain have become the main topics of discussion. These changes in worldview highlight the importance of collective fears and challenges that humanity faces in the modern world.

We are currently fighting for our industry.

In the current situation, there is a need to work more efficiently, strive for speed and productivity. This is due to the importance of ensuring one’s survival and the ability to continue doing what you love in the future. The desire to improve results becomes the main motivator for achieving success and stability.

We are currently fighting for our industry, for what we've built over the past twenty years, and while this may be perceived as emigration, it's not quite that. Many talented developers, who were the hope of the domestic game industry, left abroad not by choice, but because of circumstances. Their space for development and creativity was limited, which led to their departure.

We are actively working to diversify risks and take measures to minimize negative consequences. Modern managers are increasingly acting as risk managers—I heard this opinion from a producer at tinyBuild.

Moving is an important event that requires careful preparation. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it's worth considering several key aspects in advance. First of all, it's necessary to determine the maximum moving budget, which will include the costs of packing, transportation, and moving services. The second important point is choosing the right time for the move. Seasonal fluctuations in service prices can significantly affect the overall cost.

It's also important to think ahead about how you'll organize your packing. Making a list of items you need to take with you will help avoid unnecessary expenses and simplify the process. Make sure you have all the necessary packing materials: boxes, tape, bubble wrap.

Don't forget about the documents. Before moving, you should review all important papers, such as passports, medical records, and service contracts, to avoid problems in the future. If you're moving to another city, be sure to familiarize yourself with local laws and regulations.

Moving is also associated with emotional aspects. Prepare for possible stress and try to maintain a positive outlook. Talking to friends and family will help you get through this period more easily.

Therefore, careful preparation and attention to detail will help make the move less stressful and more organized.

Legal issues will certainly be relevant. In this context, it's worth noting that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan offer support programs for developers. For example, we were able to quickly submit an application to open a new legal entity and receive additional benefits from the IT Park in Tashkent. This creates favorable conditions for developing a business in the information technology sector.

We've been looking for housing for some time. Rent prices have increased significantly over the past year. While previously it was possible to find suitable options for $500 per month, now new employees are forced to rent apartments for $1,200.

This has had a significant impact on us, as even in St. Petersburg, housing costs were lower. Other neighboring countries, such as Armenia and Georgia, are currently experiencing significant increases in real estate prices. More and more companies are deciding to relocate their employees to Kazakhstan. In this context, Tashkent appears to be a more stable and peaceful alternative for living and working.

Young developers from Russia should focus on several key aspects to successfully develop their careers. First, it's important to continually improve your skills and learn new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud solutions. This will help you remain competitive in the job market.

Second, it's recommended to participate in open source projects and hackathons, which will not only improve your skills but also help you make useful connections in the professional community. It's also helpful to create your own projects and share them on platforms like GitHub, which will increase your visibility and showcase your skills to potential employers.

It's equally important to stay up-to-date with development trends and news by subscribing to relevant resources and participating in webinars. This will help you stay current on the latest technologies and approaches.

Finally, it's important to actively develop soft skills, such as communication and teamwork, as they play a crucial role in a successful developer career. By focusing on both technical and social skills, young Russian developers will be able to successfully adapt to changing market conditions and build successful careers in IT.

The Russian video game market could transform into something similar to the Chinese market in the coming years. We can see it becoming more closed, creating its own stores, and developing a unique audience. Russia has a significant number of players, which creates potential for the development of local gaming platforms and services.

You have two options: either learn how to work in a new environment, or relocate and continue working as you have been doing.

If you choose the first option, there are many initiatives for indie developers. One such opportunity is participation in the "Indicator" project. You can also reach an audience on the VK Play platform, which is gradually becoming an alternative to Steam for Russian users. An example of the successful use of this platform is the team behind the game Atomic Heart, which focused on promoting its product through VK Play.

Large companies often choose countries such as Cyprus due to their favorable jurisdiction within the European Union. Meanwhile, indie developers facing limited financial resources typically prefer Armenia or Georgia. These countries offer more accessible business conditions, making them attractive to small and medium-sized development enterprises.

Opening a legal entity has become a more complex process, especially due to new bank requirements. Currently, banks play a key role in selecting foreign citizens wishing to work temporarily in the country. Previously, opening a bank account with Kaspi Bank could be done remotely, but now the client's personal presence is required, significantly complicating the process for foreign entrepreneurs.

Previously, opening a bank account in Uzbekistan was possible immediately upon arrival, but now it takes at least two weeks. If you are planning a move, be prepared for the fact that the process of preparing all the necessary documents will take time. Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with the requirements in advance and prepare all the documents to simplify the procedure for opening a bank account.

Company formation can take about a month, but to be on the safe side, I recommend planning the process for two months. It's important to calculate airfare costs and taxes in the country where you plan to open a business in advance. It's also worth exploring available support programs that can help you get started. This will help avoid unexpected costs and simplify the company registration process.

It's important to note that some companies, such as PlayStation, do not cooperate with Armenia or Georgia. You won't be able to obtain devkits for their consoles in these countries. To access such resources, you must be located in the UK or the EU. As a result, you may need to register an additional company to conduct your business, thereby creating a complex structure.

Such "sandwiches" have existed for a long time, but the structure has now become more complex: one company is registered in Russia, another in the CIS countries, and the third in Cyprus. This leads to increased costs.

Gripper continues to actively develop and improve its technologies. The company focuses on expanding the functionality and improving the efficiency of its products. In recent months, new solutions have been introduced that significantly increase performance and ease of use. Gripper is also working to improve customer service, making interactions with the company more convenient for users. Overall, Gripper is strengthening its position in the market and continues to attract the attention of new customers.

We are currently in the final stages of developing the Gripper game. We plan to release the project in March on two platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC. The PC version will be available in all major stores, including the Epic Games Store, Humble, GOG.com, and Steam.

Over the past six months, I have been actively presenting our game at various conferences, visiting more than six countries. Among them were exotic destinations like Singapore. I recently returned from Los Angeles, where I demonstrated Gripper at Comic-Con. This event allowed us to raise awareness of the game and showcase its unique features to a wider audience.

In Singapore, we attended Gamescom Asia, a local version of the renowned Gamescom exhibition held in Cologne. This event was the first gaming event in the country since the start of the pandemic, attracting a large number of people eager to learn about the latest developments in the gaming industry. Gamescom Asia provided a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of video games, meet developers, and try out new games.

The arrival of Shuhei Yoshida, formerly the head of Sony Entertainment, was a significant event for Gripper. He now leads PlayStation Indies, an initiative aimed at supporting and promoting promising indie projects and their developers. Shuhei Yoshida visited our team with a delegation, personally tested our game, and shared his positive impressions in a tweet. This underscores the growing interest in indie games and their potential in the gaming industry.

We are currently in discussions with representatives of Microsoft's Xbox Asia division about potential collaboration. We also had contact in London with Mao Sugiyama, a representative of Nintendo of Europe. These interactions open up new opportunities for the development of our projects in the gaming industry.

We have significantly improved the production quality of our project, which can be seen in one of the latest Gripper trailers. Although this is not yet the final version, we expect even more impressive improvements in quality in the future. However, this video already demonstrates the noticeable growth and improvement of our work.

Our project has undergone a significant change—we've added themes more accessible to a wider audience, such as rage and loss. We sought to express these emotions mechanically and came up with the idea that each boss would symbolize a stage of loss. Players will go through stages of grief, including shock, anger, and other emotional states. We want to make Gripper a more emotionally rich and profound experience, so that players can experience each of these stages.

We strive to incorporate anime elements into our project, drawing inspiration from the cult film Akira in particular. Following the evolution of our project, you will notice that we initially had a blue car, and now we are introducing a bike that emphasizes the connection between the film and our game. This change not only reflects our creative approach but also enhances the atmosphere, creating a unique experience for players.

We have made significant progress in developing our project. This will be especially noticeable in our story trailer, as we have almost completely rewritten the script with the help of a professional screenwriter who has experience working on Atomic Heart and popular Netflix series. The updated story promises a captivating and memorable journey for our viewers.

We've significantly improved Gripper's visual style, which earned us the Best Art Award at the Unreal Engine competition last year. This year, we received a sponsored booth from Intel at Gamescom and are actively collaborating with NVIDIA.

We have the opportunity to collaborate with outstanding actors and musicians. We're currently working with renowned voices who have lent their voices to popular series like Cowboy Bebop and Dragon Ball Z. We met many of them at the recent Comic Con, which was a great opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas.

We're working hard to ensure our compatriots can be proud of their country.

We recently received some positive news—we've established contact with the band Carpenter Brut. While a specific agreement hasn't yet been reached, the fact that they're willing to discuss licensing their music for our project is already a significant achievement. This opens up new opportunities for developing our project and collaborating with renowned artists.

We've experienced numerous tragedies, and we have a veritable collection of such events. Nevertheless, we were able to overcome all difficulties and survive. Only the most unexpected and extreme situations can hinder our quest to create the game of our dreams.

One of the journalists who received an early version of Gripper for review noted that the project has the potential to become a cult classic. We hope his words are more than just politeness, and we are working hard to ensure that the game is not only engaging and unique, but also a source of pride for our compatriots. We strive to create a product that will attract attention and evoke positive emotions in players.

Heart Core has ambitious goals and objectives for 2023. The team will focus on developing new products and services that meet customer needs. The team plans to expand its market presence by implementing innovative technologies and improving the user experience. The company also plans to strengthen partnerships and increase investment in research and development. Heart Core is committed to sustainable growth and improved service quality, which will strengthen its position in the industry.

Our goal is to continue growing as a company, creating exciting projects, and maintaining our team. We strive to move forward with our core games without losing our focus on quality and innovation.

We are currently completing the alpha version of Gripper, which we plan to continue improving through February. We are confident that we will be able to bring the project to a high level of quality, as we intend to present Gripper at Next-Fest on Steam in February. Our goal is to create an engaging and interesting gaming experience that will attract players.

We intend to launch a large-scale advertising campaign in partnership with British, American, and Asian agencies to reach major publications such as IGN, Eurogamer, Kotaku, and other leading platforms. We will also actively engage with Russian-language media to maintain Russian players' interest in domestic games. Our goal is to create sustainable interest in our projects and attract the attention of an international audience.

We are pleased to announce, We have plans that go beyond the Gripper project. We're not limiting ourselves to just one idea and are actively developing a new project, which remains a secret for now. This project is a unique experiment in a completely different genre, in which we intend to introduce innovative game mechanics. Stay tuned to learn about our new developments first.

We've devoted significant time to developing unique mechanics and creating an immersive game universe. In the new game, we've taken a step further than Gripper, as we initially conceived the project as the basis for a franchise comprising several games connected by a common universe. This will allow for a deeper immersion in the story and expand the player experience, creating a rich and engaging gaming experience.

A core team of fifteen specialists is currently working on the Gripper project. Gradually, the staff is moving on to the next project, which is already being worked on by a new team formed in Uzbekistan.

In 2022, many games were released that gained popularity among gamers. Among them, several favorite projects stand out. One of the most anticipated and talked about games was an open-world action game that offered players a captivating storyline and engaging gameplay. Also worth noting was the role-playing game, which immerses players in a unique atmosphere and offers numerous character customization options. No less interesting was the indie game, which attracted attention with its original style and innovative mechanics. These and other 2022 projects have left a bright mark on the industry and earned acclaim from both critics and players.

This year, I've found myself in a constant state of flux, having lived in six countries. In such a situation, there's no time for my usual hobbies, and sometimes it's simply impossible to sit down in front of the TV, as there might not be one nearby. My laptop, as it turns out, isn't powerful enough to run games.

This year has become the year of Stray for me. As an indie developer, I'm deeply fascinated by stories that tell how one idea can grow into a full-fledged game project like Stray. The development of this game took over six years, including periods of freezing. However, Stray managed to break into the ranks of exclusives and was nominated for the award for best graphics at The Game Awards - the gaming equivalent of the Oscars.

I was in Los Angeles during the event, and it truly felt like a Hollywood red carpet. The Microsoft Theater became the center of the action, the street was completely cordoned off, and people took the day off to enjoy the event in theaters all day. The atmosphere was intense and exciting, creating a unique sense of celebration for all participants and spectators.

Among games with huge budgets, such as God of War: Ragnarok and Elden Ring, created by teams of 500 specialists, Stray stands out. This game demonstrates that even small studios can create unique and memorable projects. We shouldn't forget indie games like Inscryption, which attract attention with their original approach and innovative gameplay. Stray and games like it show that creativity and originality can compete with large-scale projects in the gaming industry.

As an indie developer, I get great joy from the opportunity to create unique games. For me, it's a real dream to be among projects like Stray and Inscryption, rather than in the company of large franchises like Uncharted. I used to think that I only wanted to develop AAA games, but over time I realized that the indie segment holds many more interesting ideas and creative solutions. Indie games offer a unique experience and the opportunity to experiment, which makes them especially appealing to me as a developer.

This year, we decided to participate in the Independent Game Festival, which is held as part of the GDC conference. We hope that our project will attract attention and receive recognition. We will follow the developments and hope for good luck.