Kirill Bubenko shared practical experience in scaling small studios.
Indie developers often face difficulties in hiring due to the use of unique tools, which makes it difficult to find suitable specialists. Orc Group developer Kirill Bubenko spoke about this at the session "GameDev Professions 2025: Who is Being Sought Right Now" as part of the first Moscow International Video Game Week.
He shared practical experience in scaling an indie studio, where it is possible to maintain product quality and maintain control with limited resources.
Orc Group consists of only two people and creates a game on its own engine based on C++, which requires rare experts on outsourcing. The team avoids experimenting with newcomers.
I'm not looking for enthusiasts. I need exceptional specialists with a strong portfolio who can enter the process without hesitation.
According to Bubenko, the key to growth is effective recruitment. The developer highlighted four effective channels for these purposes:
- Professional community and competitors
- Social networks and platforms like LinkedIn and HeadHunter
- International contacts. The developer is not afraid to contact foreign specialists, even if their rate is high. Often a simple consultation is enough to solve a complex problem
- Mandatory test tasks. This is not only a way to avoid mistakes in hiring, but also a filter for motivation
