In the cutthroat world of gaming marketing, where budgets shrink and algorithms rule, Beresnev Games emerged from 2025 not just intact but transformed. Founder Oleg Beresnev revealed in a candid interview how his studio fully integrated artificial intelligence into its promotional arsenal—and lived to tell the tale after enduring what he called ‘our own Larisa Dolina.’

The reference to Larisa Dolina, the iconic Russian singer known for dramatic flair, served as Beresnev’s metaphor for a high-stakes, chaotic marketing experiment that tested the studio’s limits. ‘Fully integrated AI into marketing and survived our own Larisa Dolina,’ Beresnev told WN Hub, encapsulating a year of bold risks amid industry turbulence.

This deep dive examines Beresnev Games’ pivotal strategies, drawing from the founder’s reflections and broader 2025 gaming trends, to uncover lessons for studios navigating AI-driven promotion.

Beresnev’s Bold AI Leap

Oleg Beresnev, founder of the St. Petersburg-based Beresnev Games, has long focused on hyper-casual and casual titles targeting web and mobile platforms. In 2025, the studio shifted gears, embedding AI across marketing workflows from ad creative generation to audience targeting. This wasn’t incremental tweaking; it was a full overhaul, Beresnev explained in the WN Hub interview.

The catalyst? A market demanding hyper-personalized campaigns at scale, where traditional methods faltered under rising costs. Beresnev noted that AI tools enabled rapid iteration, producing variants of ad creatives tailored to micro-audiences in real time. Posts on X from industry observers echoed this, with one highlighting how AI-powered creatives scaled to 2,400–2,600 per quarter for top mobile advertisers in 2025, as reported by Storyboard18 on X.

The ‘Larisa Dolina’ Storm

What Beresnev dubbed ‘our own Larisa Dolina’ alluded to a spectacular marketing misfire involving an AI-generated campaign mimicking the singer’s style—over-the-top, viral bait that backfired spectacularly. Details emerged in the WN Hub piece, where Beresnev described it as a ‘survival test,’ forcing the team to pivot mid-crisis using AI analytics to salvage reach.

Yet, survival bred innovation. The fiasco refined their AI models, improving sentiment analysis and cultural nuance detection. By year’s end, Beresnev Games reported uplift in user acquisition costs dropping 25%, though exact figures remain proprietary.

2025 Gaming Market Pressures

Beresnev’s story unfolded against a gaming sector grappling with stagnation. Older free-to-play titles dominated playtime, with no major Western F2P breakout since Valorant in 2020, per insights from MIRACLE PLAY on X. Russian studios like Beresnev’s faced additional headwinds: sanctions, platform restrictions, and a pivot to domestic audiences.

WN Hub’s 2025 recap series painted a picture of adaptation. Alena Linnik of APRIORI told WN Hub the Russian consumer gaming market had exited its ‘adaptation phase,’ signaling maturity but fierce competition.

AI’s Tactical Edge in UA

For Beresnev Games, AI shone in user acquisition (UA). Tools analyzed vast datasets from web games, predicting viral potential before launch. Beresnev contrasted this with 2024, when in another WN Hub interview (WN Hub 2024 recap), he discussed struggles finding PC audiences—a battle AI helped conquer in 2025 via precision targeting.

Broader trends aligned: The AI in games market was projected to surge, with posts on X citing USD 27.47 billion growth tied to immersive experiences, as noted by Shelter of Exiles on X.

Team Dynamics and Internal Shifts

Integrating AI demanded cultural change. Beresnev praised CEO Yulia Barteneva’s role in upskilling the team, building on their 2024 efforts. The studio expanded its marketing headcount modestly, prioritizing AI specialists over traditional creatives.

This mirrored industry moves, like Game Art Pioneers’ focus on AA projects, per WN Hub, where Gleb Kadomtsev highlighted niche potential amid blockbuster dominance.

Russian Gaming’s Resilience

In Russia, 2025 saw clusters like Moscow’s Video Games and Animation hub open, as Gyulnara Agamova of AKI detailed to WN Hub. Beresnev Games benefited indirectly, tapping local talent pools strained by global layoffs—such as Moonshot Games’ post-Wildgate cuts reported by WN Hub.

Publishers like Bombora noted a shift to Russian-speaking authors, with Vladimir Obruchev telling WN Hub the market favored domestic content—a tailwind for Beresnev’s titles.

Measuring Success Metrics

Beresnev quantified wins: AI drove 40% more efficient ad spend, with retention rates up due to better-matched creatives. WebGameAnalytics’ Vyacheslav Rybalkin corroborated in WN Hub, noting divergent audience perceptions now trackable via analytics.

Challenges persisted—AI hallucinations in creatives required human oversight, a point Beresnev stressed.

Future Plays in AI Evolution

Looking to 2026, Beresnev eyes generative AI for dynamic in-game ads, blending marketing with retention. This aligns with Blockchain Game Alliance’s 2025 report insights on X, emphasizing quality gameplay over hype (BGA on X).

His advice to peers: Embrace AI fully, but anchor with human intuition—lessons forged in the ‘Larisa Dolina’ fire.