Cubic Games, part of Cyprus-based GDEV, is focusing on community-driven growth for its hit title Pixel Gun 3D rather than on traditional traffic acquisition marketing, according to chief marketing officer Andrei Naumov.

In a report by Game World Observer, Naumov explained how the studio maintains engagement and retention across its young player base, noting that Pixel Gun 3D’s audience has changed over the past eleven years.

“Many of the kids who played it during its early days have grown up and stopped playing,” he noted, adding that the game now has a monthly audience of 4 million people and a total base of 300 million.

He pointed out that around half of current players are under 18, often using their parents’ devices, and “Being a part of the game’s community is crucial for them. If players don’t like something, they will simply leave the game and won’t come back,” he said.

He mentioned that the unpredictable behavior of young gamers complicates user acquisition and algorithmic targeting.

Even so, Naumov added, Pixel Gun 3D scales with a large volume of organic traffic that comes from searches in app stores for game titles or relevant keywords.

To manage this dynamic community, he said Cubic Games combines classic user acquisition with organic growth and long-term engagement of current and former players.

Naumov stressed that building strong communities on different platforms is at the heart of their strategy. “With 1.5 million YouTube subscribers, nearly half a million Instagram followers, and close to 200,000 members on Discord, these platforms are our hubs for engagement,” he said.

He emphasised that Discord is the most dynamic, with users actively participating in discussions, helping to develop the product, and generating new ideas. YouTube, Instagram

and TikTok, he added, drive brand awareness and temporary engagement, sharing memes, viral challenges and video guides.

He also spoke about the role of influencers. Naumov said Pixel Gun 3D has a network of creators who grew up with the game and now act as brand ambassadors.

“That’s not a paid partnership; it’s fully organic and their honest opinion,” he said. He added that young audiences trust influencers because they speak their language and interpret game updates and changes. He noted that creators also help mitigate negative coverage during update releases.

They receive support and promo opportunities from the studio, like affiliate programs with exclusive bonuses. According to Naumov, the most famous influencers are adults, despite a major portion of their audience skewing younger.

However, he pointed out that bloggers like LaPrune understand the needs of the community and speak effectively to a broad range of ages.

Naumov said Cubic Games also runs tournaments, challenges and giveaways that reward players with in-game currency and exclusive merchandise.

He mentioned that there are now plans to organise a talent contest in which the winner will take on a content creator position, responsible for streaming the game, creating video content and promoting it on their social networks.

Alongside this, he said the studio has invested in educational resources, launching a video game portal featuring in-depth articles, player forums and exclusive offers to centralize information about the game.

Retention, rather than expansion, is now the company’s main focus. “Right now our main priority is not expanding our audience but retaining it,” Naumov said.

He added that to engage current users more, the company communicates with them through influencers or content, explaining why updates are released and the benefits players can expect.

Inside the game, he noted, interaction continues through the built-in community inbox feature, which is used to send details on recent updates.

For new releases, he said the most dedicated fans sometimes receive early access, so the team can get feedback and fix issues quickly. In turn, that feedback, he pointed out, is used to boost interest in the content release update on social media with posts or activities on this topic, including giveaways during the launch window.

He stressed that full support is always provided. The community always has questions to be answered and technical issues to be addressed, and Naumov said the team manages negative coverage.

While entirely new content is broadly welcomed, changes to existing material are usually perceived negatively. “We have to explain why we released this update,” he said. In such cases, he added, they talk with players through opinion leaders because they have the trust of the audience.

Naumov also said the studio learns from peers. “In general, when some new information about game strategies appears in the media, we try to take the most workable ideas we like and implement them,” he mentioned.

For example, he noted that he read about Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine doing community outreach before the game’s release. “It’s a small thing,” he said, “but one of many ideas we have picked up from peers and aim to put to work.”

He added that Cubic Games is launching the video game web-portal as a centralized hub where players can access social hubs, game information and exclusive content in one place, further improving community focus and retention.

To grow the community’s audience for a shooter game, Naumov concluded that “you cannot just market a product, release it, and assume the job is done.”

He pointed out that you have to deeply connect marketing with the community and products. For example, he said that if you encourage a player to exit the game to participate in a contest, it must be a logical and motivating activity that aligns with the game’s flow.

He stressed that player engagement should be consistent and recognizable traits across all touchpoints, from ads to in-game interactions and social media. “Make them perceive these interactions as a part of a journey within the game,” he said.

Cubic Games, known for Pixel Gun 3D and Block City Wars, was acquired in January 2022 by Nexters Global, a Cyprus-based gaming company.

Subsequently, in June 2023, Nexters rebranded as GDEV Inc., under which Cubic Games operates as a subsidiary. GDEV also includes studios such as Royal Ark, Game Gears and RJ Games.