Asger Risom
Russia is proposing a government-backed gaming platform to rival Steam, part of a broader push to regulate digital content, promote state-approved values and increase control over gaming ecosystems across BRICS nations.
Russia is pushing forward with plans for a government-backed gaming platform designed to rival Steam, as Moscow increasingly views video games not simply as entertainment, but as a space for ideological control, youth influence and digital sovereignty.
The proposal would allow BRICS governments to regulate what games users can access while promoting what officials describe as “morality-strengthening” content aligned with state-approved values.
A state-approved gaming platform
According to Forbes Russia, the proposal comes from the Internet Development Institute (IRI), a Kremlin-backed organization that received more than $275 million in state funding in 2025 to support government-aligned digital content.
The organization is proposing a BRICS-focused gaming platform intended to compete with Steam and other Western distribution services.
IRI argues the current gaming ecosystem is too heavily shaped by Western companies and cultural standards.
“The current system of content distribution does not ensure equal partnerships between countries,” deputy director Boris Edidin said, according to Forbes Russia.
The proposal would allow participating governments to moderate and approve content based on what officials consider appropriate moral and cultural standards.
Games as political tools
The initiative reflects a broader shift in how Russia increasingly treats gaming platforms as part of information control and cultural influence.
Rather than simply restricting games, the proposal suggests creating an entirely separate ecosystem where governments hold direct influence over what players see and access.
The report also notes that IRI proposed developing AR and VR military training simulators designed to support mass mobilization and firearms training.
That growing overlap between gaming, state messaging and military infrastructure has raised concerns among critics who argue Russia is increasingly treating digital entertainment as a tool for political conditioning and social management.
Why Steam matters
Steam is not simply a game launcher.
For many developers, it functions as the central infrastructure of global PC gaming — combining storefronts, social systems, updates, multiplayer functionality and international distribution into a single platform.
That dominance makes replacing it extraordinarily difficult.
Several Russian gaming executives quoted by Forbes Russia dismissed the proposal as unrealistic.
Astrum Entertainment reportedly called the idea of building a true Steam competitor “a long and complex process,” while Indie Go Start partner Vladimir Varenik argued competing with Steam inside BRICS markets alone made little financial sense.
“Steam is a monopoly,” he said.
Gaming during wartime
The proposal also arrives as video games become increasingly politicized across both Russia and Ukraine.
Russian developers have recently faced criticism for military-themed games tied to the war in Ukraine, while Ukrainian studios have increasingly used gaming as a medium for cultural preservation, historical memory and wartime storytelling.
One of the clearest examples is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, developed by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World during Russia’s invasion.
The game became one of Steam’s top-selling titles despite the ongoing war and widespread disruption facing the studio itself.
The contrast highlights how games are increasingly becoming more than entertainment in Eastern Europe.
They are also becoming tools for identity, ideology and competing narratives about war, culture and power.
Sources: Forbes Russia, U24 Media
