The VK company, the owner of the social network bearing the same name, is moving forward with the creation of a native game engine. The plan envisions a development timeline of three to five years and a dedicated team of up to 100 specialists. Vladimir Kiriyenko, the company’s general director, outlined the initiative and its milestones during a public briefing.
Currently, VK is in the process of assembling the core team and building the foundational systems of the engine. The strategy calls for a beta release in 2024 and ongoing collaboration with the broader gaming community to refine features and address real-world needs. By 2025, attention will shift to optimizing graphics, performance, and stability while launching VK’s distribution platform to support developers and players alike.
Kiriyenko emphasized that the new engine will leverage open-source code and be ported to multiple operating systems. A key point in his presentation was that the engine will be freely available to developers, lowering barriers to entry and encouraging widespread experimentation and innovation.
“We believe that the technology should be universal and allow you to create any type of game,” Kiriyenko commented, underscoring VK’s mission to provide a versatile toolset that can serve a broad spectrum of genres and development styles.
In parallel, Maksut Shadayev, the head of the Digital Development Ministry, announced government plans to support the export of Russian video games to China. He highlighted the importance of export readiness as part of the national strategy to strengthen the domestic game industry on the global stage.
Shadayev noted that gamedev remains one of the more challenging segments within the sector, but he also pointed to substantial potential. He stressed that from the public sector’s vantage point, targeted support measures could help sustain growth, foster innovation, and open new markets for Russian studios, even in competitive international landscapes.
Also contributing to the discussion, Vasily Maguryan, head of VK Play, mentioned that VK is considering featuring a curated selection of Asian games on its platform. The move aims to diversify offerings and bring fresh content into VK’s ecosystem, while exploring partnerships that could benefit developers and users alike.
The initiative reflects VK’s broader ambition to reshape its presence in the technology and entertainment landscape by building an in-house engine that aligns with open-source principles and cross-platform compatibility. This approach is designed to empower developers to create high-quality experiences without being tethered to a single proprietary toolchain, inviting a wider audience to participate in the evolving world of digital gaming. The project’s progress and impact are being followed by industry observers who see significant potential for VK to influence how games are built, distributed, and enjoyed in the region. (VG Times)