SGA Insights: Publishing and Marketing

SGA Insights 28.01.2026.
Time 3 PM0 - 6 PM
Language English
Location Impact Hub, 21 Makedonska Street
Price free

SGA Insights: Publishing and Marketing

With over 19,000 games published on Steam in 2025, it's becoming increasingly difficult to gain visibility on this highly saturated platform. That's why we decided to start 2026 with the advice of experts in this particular niche.

If your team publishes games on Steam, whether you’re doing it alone or with a publisher, and regardless of whether you’re an indie or a larger studio, we believe this event can be useful for you.

What exactly is the value of a publisher in addition to funding the project? When and how should I start marketing my game? What are the “dos” and “don’ts”? How big should marketing budgets be? These are some of the questions we’ll be asking at the next SGA Insights.

And here’s who’ll present:

Vladimir Tolmachev, Director tinyBuild Serbija, tinyBuild

When and why you should work with Publisher

Not sure whether to self-publish or partner with a publisher – and when it actually makes sense? This talk brings light to decision points, what publishers bring beyond funding and how to identify the right partner. We’ll cover how to approach publishers strategically: what materials to prepare for a pitch, what signals make your game attractive, and what questions you should ask before signing anything.

Sergey Ulankin, Head of Publishing, HeroCraft PC

Miscellaneous Tips & Tricks of Publishing an Indie Game: What I Learned in 2025

Sergey’s lecture is a collection of different trends, ideas and changes that became relevant last year — all in one package.

Adriana Tanasković,

A few things to double-check before your 2026 release

Think launching a game in 2026 works the same way it did a few years ago? It doesn’t. This session covers the realities of modern indie releases – from Steam algorithms and playtests to demos, community building, creators, pricing, and picking the (right) moment to launch.

IMPORTANT: This event is for SGA members only.

Vladimir Tolmachev,
Producer, TinyBuild
About the lecturer

I’m a professional with 15 years of experience in the industry. For the last 4 years, I’ve been a Producer at tinyBuild and the Head of tinyBuild Serbia. Previously, I worked at companies including Wargaming and My.Games, contributing to major titles such as World of Tanks, Lost Ark, PUBG (CIS), and ArcheAge (CIS). At tinyBuild, I worked on games including SpiderHeck, Drill Core, VOIN, The King is Watching, Hozy, and other indie releases.

Sergey Ulankin,
HeroCraft PC, CEO
About the lecturer

Sergey is the Head of HeroCraft PC, which is a publisher and occasional developer of brave indie games. He comes from the marketing background but also knows a few things about production and management. He has over seven years experience in the gaming industry across startups, media and game dev and has worked on more than ten games.

Adriana Tanasković,
Marketing and Publishing Producer/ Product Marketing Manager, Grindstone / Games Farm
About the lecturer

Adriana`s foray into gaming commenced 11 years ago when she joined the trailblazers of the regional SEE scene, Mad Head Games (A Saber Interactive Studio). For the last decade in the game dev industry Adriana has honed her skills across various game marketing, business and publishing domains, including marketing operations, publishing and release management, broadcasting and video production, performance marketing, community building, content creation, and product and brand marketing management. Currently, she works as a freelance contractor for indie publishers and game development studios across Central Europe.

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