Interview for
Casino.ru
01.08.2025
Interview
Mikhail Grunin, Product Owner at GameBeat, recently gave an exclusive interview to Casino.ru, sharing insights on GameBeat’s unique approach to slot development, the factors that differentiate the company from other providers, the emerging role of AI in iGaming, and his vision for how the industry will evolve over the next five years.
Here’s what he had to say:
– Hello! Please tell us a little about yourself.
– Hi! My name is Mikhail. I love playing and creating games, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past eight years. I’ve had the chance to work in both PC and mobile gaming markets, experienced the rapid growth of game development during the COVID era, and helped build several teams and projects.
– How do you assess GameBeat’s current position in the market? What sets you apart from other providers?
– In my opinion, GameBeat holds a strong position near the top of the market: we’re not in the top 10 by volume, but we maintain steady growth and aim for a level of quality and creative depth that often surpasses offerings from the biggest players.
We approach each game as an individual creative project. It’s not about the number of releases, but the depth and quality of development. Every game has its own unique visual style and original sound design – we focus on atmosphere and details so players truly feel the difference.
– What was the most unexpected thing when you first started working at GameBeat?
– For me, GameBeat was an entry point into the iGaming industry, where I actively integrate best practices from mobile and PC game development. The most surprising aspect was the approach to development, marketing, and project growth, which evolved in parallel but differs significantly.
It’s also worth mentioning our branded games. We offer operators not just a logo or background change, but a full rebranding: visual, audio, and stylistic. This allows partners to provide their users a truly exclusive product tailored to their brand.
– Which trends in the gambling industry do you think are overrated, and which are underestimated?
– It seems many studios still underestimate the power of visual style and artistic design. Amid the market saturation with similar slots, a unique visual component becomes a real competitive advantage, especially for players tired of templates.
One overrated trend is the endless stream of Crash and Instant Win projects. While they work well for short-term growth, most lack depth and do not build loyal audiences.
– Which external market do you currently see as most promising for GameBeat, and why?
– Latin America appears to be one of the most promising markets. It shows steady growth and is less saturated with content compared to Europe.
– Have there been any unexpected successes in GameBeat’s history that you didn’t predict?
– Each of our projects is destined for success to some extent as a result of systematic work and creative development. We have had unexpected failures rather than surprises on the success side.
– In your opinion, what is more important for a slot’s success today: visual style, mechanics, or mathematics?
– Internally, we promote an “and” rather than an “or” approach:
– Which GameBeat slot do you consider the most interesting from a professional standpoint, and why?
– Professionally, the most interesting project to me remains Spin 4 Dead, whose second part was released recently. We tried to implement slot mechanics we liked and bring something new to the slot world with this project.
– Do you think players need new game mechanics when the market is already so saturated?
– Absolutely. The genre survives not only through visual images. It used to be enough to replace classic symbols with chewing gum icons to stay compliant, but now, to keep player interest, more ways to interact with the game are needed. Like AAA games, some things fade while others evolve. Otherwise, the market risks endless repetition.
– Are you currently working on unique “engines” or features?
– Regarding slots, even Epic Games or Unity would envy our engines, as we update versions more than three times a year, which is evident from our portfolio.
– What is your attitude toward the use of neural networks in slot development?
– In our work, we constantly look for new applications for existing neural networks. We use them as the ultimate tool, combining the experience of millions in one library.
– Has there ever been a slot or feature the entire team was proud of but didn’t resonate with players?
– As I mentioned earlier, we don’t release games that the whole team isn’t proud of. Sometimes players evaluate mechanics differently than expected, which we consider a mistake we strive not to repeat.
– How do you collect and use feedback from operators and players?
– We have several approaches. Player feedback often appears as numbers on analytics charts. We also monitor social media for mentions of our games and brand.
Additionally, we regularly share statistics with operators and compare data across games to understand what performs better and where there’s potential for improvement. Since we operate in the B2B segment, direct contact with players is limited.
– Are there disagreements between the creative team and developers when creating a slot? Who usually wins?
– We believe that without heated discussions aimed at outstanding results, releasing a truly quality product is impossible. We value these debates as part of product development and use them to build a well-coordinated team. Ultimately, quality always wins.
– Which technologies will most impact the iGaming industry soon?
– Just as the discovery of penicillin and the transistor revolutionized their industries, AI and neural networks will continue to be the strongest influences on our industry for a long time, finding new applications along the way.
– Do you think attitudes toward gambling will change in the next five years?
– It depends on the market. For example, Europe’s market is more conservative and less receptive to rapid changes compared to younger and more promising markets that are already shifting their views.
– What are GameBeat’s team’s strongest points, in your opinion?
– Our greatest strength is the team itself, where we invest most of our efforts. Our visual style and willingness to experiment set GameBeat apart from many competitors.
– Does GameBeat have ambitions beyond standard video slots?
– There are ideas within the company that could disrupt the market. Unfortunately, they need to mature in secrecy before we can talk about them.
– What is your personal goal related to working at GameBeat?
– My personal goal is to build the best team, working with ideal processes that will set the industry’s tone and change the world’s attitude toward gambling for the better.
A big thank you to the entire team at Casino.ru for conducting such an insightful and engaging interview! We truly appreciate the opportunity to share our thoughts and vision with your audience. To read the original version in Russian, please follow this link.
Here’s what he had to say:
– Hello! Please tell us a little about yourself.
– Hi! My name is Mikhail. I love playing and creating games, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past eight years. I’ve had the chance to work in both PC and mobile gaming markets, experienced the rapid growth of game development during the COVID era, and helped build several teams and projects.
– How do you assess GameBeat’s current position in the market? What sets you apart from other providers?
– In my opinion, GameBeat holds a strong position near the top of the market: we’re not in the top 10 by volume, but we maintain steady growth and aim for a level of quality and creative depth that often surpasses offerings from the biggest players.
We approach each game as an individual creative project. It’s not about the number of releases, but the depth and quality of development. Every game has its own unique visual style and original sound design – we focus on atmosphere and details so players truly feel the difference.
– What was the most unexpected thing when you first started working at GameBeat?
– For me, GameBeat was an entry point into the iGaming industry, where I actively integrate best practices from mobile and PC game development. The most surprising aspect was the approach to development, marketing, and project growth, which evolved in parallel but differs significantly.
It’s also worth mentioning our branded games. We offer operators not just a logo or background change, but a full rebranding: visual, audio, and stylistic. This allows partners to provide their users a truly exclusive product tailored to their brand.
– Which trends in the gambling industry do you think are overrated, and which are underestimated?
– It seems many studios still underestimate the power of visual style and artistic design. Amid the market saturation with similar slots, a unique visual component becomes a real competitive advantage, especially for players tired of templates.
One overrated trend is the endless stream of Crash and Instant Win projects. While they work well for short-term growth, most lack depth and do not build loyal audiences.
– Which external market do you currently see as most promising for GameBeat, and why?
– Latin America appears to be one of the most promising markets. It shows steady growth and is less saturated with content compared to Europe.
– Have there been any unexpected successes in GameBeat’s history that you didn’t predict?
– Each of our projects is destined for success to some extent as a result of systematic work and creative development. We have had unexpected failures rather than surprises on the success side.
– In your opinion, what is more important for a slot’s success today: visual style, mechanics, or mathematics?
– Internally, we promote an “and” rather than an “or” approach:
- Visuals are our face, the first thing that attracts attention.
- Mathematics keeps players engaged and builds a loyal base.
- Mechanics make our games unique.
– Which GameBeat slot do you consider the most interesting from a professional standpoint, and why?
– Professionally, the most interesting project to me remains Spin 4 Dead, whose second part was released recently. We tried to implement slot mechanics we liked and bring something new to the slot world with this project.
– Do you think players need new game mechanics when the market is already so saturated?
– Absolutely. The genre survives not only through visual images. It used to be enough to replace classic symbols with chewing gum icons to stay compliant, but now, to keep player interest, more ways to interact with the game are needed. Like AAA games, some things fade while others evolve. Otherwise, the market risks endless repetition.
– Are you currently working on unique “engines” or features?
– Regarding slots, even Epic Games or Unity would envy our engines, as we update versions more than three times a year, which is evident from our portfolio.
– What is your attitude toward the use of neural networks in slot development?
– In our work, we constantly look for new applications for existing neural networks. We use them as the ultimate tool, combining the experience of millions in one library.
– Has there ever been a slot or feature the entire team was proud of but didn’t resonate with players?
– As I mentioned earlier, we don’t release games that the whole team isn’t proud of. Sometimes players evaluate mechanics differently than expected, which we consider a mistake we strive not to repeat.
– How do you collect and use feedback from operators and players?
– We have several approaches. Player feedback often appears as numbers on analytics charts. We also monitor social media for mentions of our games and brand.
Additionally, we regularly share statistics with operators and compare data across games to understand what performs better and where there’s potential for improvement. Since we operate in the B2B segment, direct contact with players is limited.
– Are there disagreements between the creative team and developers when creating a slot? Who usually wins?
– We believe that without heated discussions aimed at outstanding results, releasing a truly quality product is impossible. We value these debates as part of product development and use them to build a well-coordinated team. Ultimately, quality always wins.
– Which technologies will most impact the iGaming industry soon?
– Just as the discovery of penicillin and the transistor revolutionized their industries, AI and neural networks will continue to be the strongest influences on our industry for a long time, finding new applications along the way.
– Do you think attitudes toward gambling will change in the next five years?
– It depends on the market. For example, Europe’s market is more conservative and less receptive to rapid changes compared to younger and more promising markets that are already shifting their views.
– What are GameBeat’s team’s strongest points, in your opinion?
– Our greatest strength is the team itself, where we invest most of our efforts. Our visual style and willingness to experiment set GameBeat apart from many competitors.
– Does GameBeat have ambitions beyond standard video slots?
– There are ideas within the company that could disrupt the market. Unfortunately, they need to mature in secrecy before we can talk about them.
– What is your personal goal related to working at GameBeat?
– My personal goal is to build the best team, working with ideal processes that will set the industry’s tone and change the world’s attitude toward gambling for the better.
A big thank you to the entire team at Casino.ru for conducting such an insightful and engaging interview! We truly appreciate the opportunity to share our thoughts and vision with your audience. To read the original version in Russian, please follow this link.