We are proud to welcome Anton Bolshakov, a key figure in Ukraine’s gaming industry, to the Diia.City United Strategic Board!
Anton is a talented game developer with over 26 years of industry experience. Before founding his own company, he played a key role in the development and launch of iconic projects like Cossacks: European Wars and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. at GSC Game World. Both games became major hits, selling millions of copies and showcasing the technological potential of Ukrainian game developers on the international stage
Under Anton’s leadership, the AB Games has become a global player in the hidden object adventure genre with its flagship Hidden City securing 60% of the global free-to-play HOPA market within just four years of its launch. The game has generated over $500 million and continues to engage 1.1 million daily players worldwide.
As CEO, Anton is at the forefront of AI integration in game development, streamlining creative processes and improving team productivity. AB Games was ranked among the top 25 largest game development companies in Ukraine in the February 2025 DOU ranking. Remarkably, AB Games is also one of the seven companies in the ranking that continues to expand rather than downsize.
Anton Bolshakov on the future of Ukraine’s gaming industry:
Ukraine is a country of opportunities, innovation, and global business. It’s home to talented, intelligent, and ambitious people who create world-class tech products. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs and teams are forced to relocate their businesses to other jurisdictions for capital protection and intellectual property rights security.
As a leader in the gaming industry, Anton is not only focused on commercial success but also actively supports the gamedev community and invests in the growth of Ukraine’s gaming industry. At AB Labs, a unique creative space, talented game developers regularly come together to exchange knowledge, find inspiration, and build new partnerships.
My mission is to share my knowledge and expertise to make Ukraine one of the best jurisdictions for launching innovative businesses. I want to see more Ukrainians building their companies and entering global markets. I want investors and international companies to come here. This aligns perfectly with Diia.City’s vision leveraging industry expertise to collaborate with the government and drive the growth of Ukraine’s business sector and economy.
Anton’s professional background will reinforce Diia.City United’s position in the gaming sector, unlocking new opportunities to support innovative businesses in Ukraine. His deep industry knowledge and proven track record in building successful global products, combined with the resources and expertise of our community, will create a solid foundation for the growth of Ukrainian game development companies and the attraction of new investments.
In his new role, Anton will work alongside 18 of the most successful Ukrainian tech entrepreneurs and visionaries: Artem Borodatiuk (Netpeak Group), Oleg Gorokhovsky (monobank), Den Dmytrenko (Roosh), Dmytro Dubrovskyi (Uklon), Oleksandr Konotopskyi (Ajax Systems), Oleksandr Kosovan (MacPaw), Nazarii Kurochko (GigaCloud), Volodymyr Mnogolietniy (Genesis), Fedor Drozdovsky (MEGOGO), Ihor Zhadanov (Readdle), Artur Mikhno (Work.ua), Volodymyr Nosov (WhiteBit), Mykhailo Shelemba (DVL), Hanna Shuvalova (Horizon Capital), Roman Prokofiev (Jooble), Denys Horovyi (EVO), Samvel Akobyan (lilo), and Sasha Misho (Glovo).
