The War of the Worlds: Siberia Reportedly Received Up to 1 Billion Rubles in State Funding

The War of the Worlds: Siberia may have received one of the largest public funding packages in the history of Russia’s game industry. According to media reports citing Kommersant sources, the Internet Development Institute, also known internationally as IDI, could have allocated between 800 million and 1 billion rubles to the project. The exact amount has not been officially confirmed, but the report places MGLA’s alternate-history action-adventure among the most ambitious Russian games currently in development.

The Reported Grant Would Be Unusually Large

The funding figure has not been publicly disclosed by IDI or MGLA. However, reports based on Kommersant sources claim that The War of the Worlds: Siberia received support in the range of 800 million to 1 billion rubles.

That would put the game far above many other publicly supported projects. For comparison, Zemsky Sobor: Decisive Choice reportedly received around 250 million rubles in the same funding competition. If the reported numbers are accurate, MGLA’s project would be operating on a much larger scale than most Russian game productions.

At this stage, the figure should still be treated carefully. Representatives connected to the funding process have not officially confirmed the amount, and public grant announcements do not list the full financial details.

Yandex Was Previously Linked to the Project

The reported IDI funding is not the only major investment connected to The War of the Worlds: Siberia. Earlier reports claimed that Yandex’s production arm, Plus Studio, had joined the project as a co-investor.

Those reports suggested that the overall budget could run into several billion rubles once development, content expansion and marketing are included. One previous estimate claimed the team had been seeking between 1 and 1.5 billion rubles for additional content and another 500 million rubles for marketing. Those numbers also remain unofficial.

What is clear is that the project has moved far beyond the scale of a small independent release. MGLA appears to be positioning The War of the Worlds: Siberia as a large narrative action-adventure with possible long-term franchise potential.

A Different Take on H.G. Wells

The War of the Worlds: Siberia is inspired by H.G. Wells’ classic science-fiction novel, but it does not simply retell the original story. Instead, the game moves the Martian invasion into an alternate version of the Russian Empire in the late 19th century.

The official setup begins in 1896, after London and other European capitals are devastated by alien machines. The invasion eventually reaches Petrograd, where cosmic projectiles strike the city and tripods appear on the horizon. Players follow a young student trying to survive and escape toward Siberia while both human and alien threats close in.

That setting is the game’s strongest hook. It takes a familiar science-fiction premise and places it in a rarely used historical environment, mixing imperial Russia, survival tension, stealth and Martian war machines.

PC Release Is Planned for 2027

The official website currently lists a PC release in 2027. PlayStation and Xbox versions are also mentioned, but their release timing is still marked as TBD.

That means the game is still some distance away. A 2027 launch gives MGLA time to expand the project, but it also increases the pressure around production. Large reported budgets tend to raise expectations, especially when state funding and major private investment are part of the story.

For international audiences, the biggest questions will be scope and execution. The concept is strong, but players will want to see whether the game can match its ambition with polished combat, strong world design and convincing narrative delivery.

High Funding Creates High Risk

If the reported funding range is accurate, The War of the Worlds: Siberia would become one of the most closely watched Russian games of the next few years. That kind of support can give a studio the resources to build a larger, more cinematic experience. It also creates serious risk.

A project with this level of attention cannot simply be “interesting.” It has to prove that the money translated into quality. That means stronger production values, more reliable technology and a level of polish that can hold up internationally.

The project is already being discussed as one of Russia’s major game-industry prestige plays. Until the exact funding is confirmed, the financial details remain unofficial. But even as a reported figure, the scale changes how The War of the Worlds: Siberia is perceived.

A Prestige Project With a Lot to Prove

The War of the Worlds: Siberia has the ingredients for a standout release: a famous literary inspiration, an unusual setting, a large reported budget and a 2027 launch window that gives the team time to deliver.

It also has a lot to prove. Ambition alone will not be enough. The game will need to show that its alternate-history Russia, Martian invasion and survival-focused action can come together as more than an impressive pitch.

For now, the reported funding makes one thing clear: this is not a small experiment. The War of the Worlds: Siberia is being treated as one of the most important Russian game projects in development, and its eventual reveal cycle will be watched closely.