IT Park Uzbekistan at RED EXPO: Prospects for Uzbekistan’s GameDev Industry

A delegation from IT Park Uzbekistan, led by CEO Farkhod Ibragimov, participated in the international RED EXPO conference, one of the largest events in the GameDev sector.

RED EXPO is a large-scale exhibition of interactive entertainment and an international conference that gathered over 3,000 participants, including developers, publishers, IT companies, and representatives of the creative industry. Among the organizers were major corporations such as Lesta Games, VK Play, Astrum Entertainment, and 1C Game Studios.

During the conference, Farkhod Ibragimov delivered a presentation highlighting the rapid development of the gaming industry in Uzbekistan and the country's competitive advantages as a dynamically growing GameDev hub. He noted that IT Park hosts more than 20 GameDev studios working closely with international partners.

Founders hail from the USA, France, South Korea, Japan, and other countries. He cited East Games as an example—a studio that has already made a name for itself on the international stage. The Uzbekistan-based team develops world-class projects focused on export, showcasing the high potential of the local GameDev industry.

Additionally, the CEO emphasized that, in collaboration with GameDev Goethe, more than 100 games have been developed within the incubator in Uzbekistan, and successfully published on international platforms like Google Play and the App Store.

Meetings with Key Industry Players

During the event, the CEO of IT Park held several meetings with the Game Industry Association, VK Indie, and 1C Game Studios.

Game Industry Association

One of the key moments of the conference was the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the Game Industry Association, which unites leading companies in the sector and promotes the development of local GameDev, educational initiatives, and international collaboration. Under the agreement, the parties committed to jointly organizing educational programs for young professionals, hosting large-scale gaming industry events, and supporting export initiatives for Uzbek companies.

Discussions with the association’s president, Vladimir Prokuranov, also covered mechanisms to support IT Park residents in GameDev, including programs like Zero Risk, which allows companies to access office spaces and technical equipment free of charge for up to one year. Farkhod Ibragimov highlighted that the well-developed infrastructure and support available in Uzbekistan enable local developers to easily enter global markets.

VK Indie

During the meeting with Alexander Egorov, Head of VK Play Indie, and Alena Linnik, COO of VK Play, the registration of indie projects in Uzbekistan was discussed. Tax benefits available to IT Park residents provide opportunities for optimizing investments, developing projects, or publishing completed games on international platforms, opening new prospects for indie developers.

VK Indie, part of the VK Play platform, shared its expertise in promoting games, providing marketing support, and working with investors. These insights could offer valuable experiences for Uzbekistan’s indie developers.

1C Game Studios

Talks with 1C Game Studios, led by the studio’s CEO, Albert Zhiltsov, focused on workforce development and educational programs for the gaming industry. The company presented its unique paid internship program, lasting 6–9 months, which efficiently trains specialists in fields such as 3D design, animation, and programming.

Producing 80% of its games for the U.S. market and actively collaborating with over 50 countries, 1C Game Studios expressed interest in involving Uzbek specialists in its projects. Farkhod Ibragimov emphasized that Uzbekistan is actively nurturing talented youth: more than 1,500 specialists already work in game development, and the creative community includes over 15,000 members. The country offers extensive learning opportunities, and the upcoming launch of GameDevHQ Academy and Xsolla Global Academy will ensure the training of world-class professionals.

GameDev Success Stories and Uzbekistan’s Growing Presence

Successful cases such as East Games and AmayaSoft demonstrate that Uzbekistan has become a key GameDev center in Central Asia, ready for large-scale international projects.

IT Park Uzbekistan's participation in RED EXPO underscored the significance of the country as a rapidly developing IT hub. The event marked an important step in strengthening Uzbekistan's position on the global gaming industry stage, opening up new opportunities for attracting investments and implementing large-scale international projects.