ARIR, the AC RIR analytics centre and Sber published a three-wave online study of Russia's gaming and esports audience conducted in 2026, with a 2024 baseline. The all-Russia sample covered 3,063 respondents; a separate esports-audience sample covered 1,240 people.
67% of all-Russia survey participants play video games, up from 63% in 2024. 52% consume gaming content, and 33% follow esports, up from 29% in 2024. Among 14–24-year-olds the figures reach 89% and 52% respectively; in the 45-and-older group they fall to 46% and 18%. Esports following splits 44% male and 23% female.
Audience profile
The largest age cohort is 25–34, at 37% of the gaming and esports audience; the 19–44 bracket accounts for 78%. Men make up 61%; the female share edged up to around 40% from 38% in 2024. 40% of the audience are married, and 53% have no children.
19% of all-Russia respondents have tournament experience, of whom 88% competed only at amateur level. A professional esports career is a serious interest for 24% of tournament participants and 3% of those without that experience. 61% of esports followers watch matches weekly. Offline events draw 59% of that audience in cities with populations above one million, against 34% in settlements under 100,000.
Habits and spending
76% of players combine playing with watching; 82% of gaming-content consumers watch streams weekly. Streamer broadcasts are preferred by 44% of the 14–24 age group and 24% of those aged 35 and above. For live game viewing, 70% use Twitch; YouTube and VK Ecosystem each draw 13%; Kick accounts for 3%.
The most common monthly gaming budget is 1,001–5,000 roubles, cited by 33% of players. 18% spend up to 1,000 roubles; 14% spend nothing; 32% spend more than 5,000 roubles, with the largest sub-group — 17% — in the 5,001–10,000-rouble band. Among daily players, 40% exceed 5,000 roubles a month, against 12% of those who play two or three times a month. That figure rises to 58% among players from households earning above 100,000 roubles per person, and stands at 11% for households below 20,000 roubles. 43% of players aged 14–24 spend nothing or stay within 1,000 roubles.
The top reasons for watching esports content are interest in the game (61%) and relaxation (57%). Among daily match viewers, 45% want to learn new strategies. The most-played titles in the past month are Dota 2 (42%), CS 2 (36%) and World of Tanks (31%).
Audience demand and industry gaps
Formats respondents want to see more of: amateur tournaments (26%), prizes or bonuses for watching live streams (25%), interaction with professional players (20%), fan meetups and events (16%), and virtual or AR/VR events (13%).
Perceived industry shortfalls centre on the lack of local tournaments (19%), insufficient arena and club infrastructure (19%), and the need for more Russian teams and professional players (18%). Support for youth projects was flagged by 18%, and for educational projects by 12%. The share calling for greater state support fell from 19% to 15% over two years.
Parents of school-age children are more willing to back a child's esports interest with moral support (80%) than to fund tournament travel (36%). 48% of parents who play games themselves view an esports career for their child positively, against 19% of non-playing parents.
