Moscow International Game Week welcomed a special guest of honor: Minh Le, legendary developer and co-creator of Counter-Strike. Speaking to Russian and international attendees, Le shared his views on how the global gaming industry has evolved and how the new Moscow Game Hub can boost the gaming industry.
A New Era for Game Development
Reflecting on 25 years since the release of Counter-Strike, Le noted how dramatically the gaming landscape has changed:
“Back in 2000, there was no challenge of ‘how to retain players’ — we simply focused on making a good game, and people would play it. But today players have endless choice, and in order to make a successful game you have to think about retention and monetization. It makes development more difficult. Personally, I enjoy making games that people will love — games that help them feel better.”
He emphasized that despite new challenges, modern developers now have access to countless models, formats, and tools — allowing creators to build the games they truly envision.
On the Power of Talent Hubs
Moscow Game Hub, the world’s only full-cycle gaming and animation development facility offering end-to-end support from concept to international market launch, was unveiled during Moscow International Game Week. The facility provides resident companies with comprehensive production infrastructure including motion-capture studios, sound recording facilities for voice acting and soundtrack production, as well as cinema halls, conference centres, and exhibition spaces.
Minh Le strongly endorsed Moscow Game Hub, calling it a decisive step for accelerating the industry:
“When you bring talents together in one place, it has a hugely positive effect. It’s very important to work next to people, face to face. That’s why the hub is such a great initiative — people can grow in a shared environment. I’m excited to see what will come out of this hub.”
He also noted that finding the right partners has been one of the hardest challenges of his career, and that the hub solves this exact problem by helping creators meet collaborators who share their vision.
About Russian games
Le shared that in his opinion the Russian gaming community creates outstanding simulators and combat games.
“Back in the 90s, I played a huge number of flight simulators, and in the West they are made very rarely. It’s great to see that Russian developers continue to evolve this genre and build games based on it — they have an excellent understanding of how it works.
I’m also impressed by post-apocalyptic titles like Atomic Heart. They have incredible storytelling and attract global attention. I expect to see even more excellent games coming from Russia, and it’s wonderful that we have the opportunity to share our stories with each other and play each other’s games.”
On Counter-Strike
Minh Le also addressed the legacy of Counter-Strike “Counter-Strike is a very simple game, and a huge community has grown around it. The core gameplay is still largely the same as 25 years ago. I’m proud people still play it.”
New Projects and Creative Inspirations
During his keynote, Le offered a first look at his team’s upcoming title:
“Our new game is different — it’s not just a shooter. You can play in a team of up to four people. We preserved the fast pacing and intensity of CS, but added a new concept — something like Left4Dead mixed with Payday. Shooter fans may discover something new in it.”
(India CSR)
