Nordcurrent’s leaders share how they maintain game development operations amid Ukraine’s conflict, offering resilience strategies for creative industries.
The Dawn of Invasion: A Studio’s Reality
As conflict persists in Ukraine, Victoria Trofimova, CEO of Nordcurrent, and Tatyana Margolina, Director of the Dnipro office, provide a firsthand account of sustaining a creative business under siege.
The skies over Ukraine tell a story of disruption, yet beneath them, the teams at Nordcurrent persist in crafting mobile gaming experiences. For CEO Victoria Trofimova and Dnipro Office Director Tatyana Margolina, the mission is clear: continue creating, no matter the circumstance. Their narratives reveal the stark new normal for developers in a nation at war.
February 24, 2022, marked a brutal turning point, as military actions commenced against Ukraine, escalating long-standing geopolitical friction into full-scale warfare.
Ordinary life for citizens at the epicenter of the siege transformed irrevocably. Kyiv’s dynamic avenues, once filled with commerce and culture, now exist within a haze of conflict, their character fundamentally scarred by violence.
Amid widespread displacement and relentless combat, Tatyana Margolina strives to preserve routine as Office Director for Nordcurrent’s Dnipro base. With alarms sounding and global attention fixed on the invasion, she collaborates with CEO Victoria Trofimova to demonstrate that, while national industry may falter, their studio’s resolve does not.
Nordcurrent, a mobile game developer with studios in Dnipro and Odessa renowned for hits such as Cooking Fever and Sniper Arena, is led locally in Dnipro by Tatyana.
Despite a foreboding sense of impending trouble, Tatyana remembers the morning with surreal clarity. “On the 24th, I stepped onto the fire escape for a cigarette,” she recounts. “Smoke was pillaring over my city. It felt cinematic, not real.”
As the reality of their overturned world set in, Victoria, operating from the company’s Lithuanian headquarters, mobilized swiftly upon receiving the news. “I found out about the war roughly two hours after Tatyana,” she says. “My father woke me and told me to turn on the television.”
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Her immediate recall of the day’s events is fragmented. “That day is a blur, as was the first month. We reached out to Tatyana and our Odessa studio manager to assess the ground situation. Both cities suffered bombardments on day one.
“We began problem-solving: What must we do? What can we do? How do we support our team? What’s the impact on our studios?” As hostilities intensified that first weekend, Victoria explains, “we coordinated the first evacuation bus from Odessa and continued arranging transport for those wishing to leave. Needs are personal, but our Dnipro studio operates with minimal disruption.”
Operational Resilience: Adapting Development
Dnipro, having avoided the worst of the violence, features an office with a dedicated underground shelter where the team now spends more time than preferred. Practical Tip: For studios in volatile regions, investing in or identifying accessible hardened infrastructure is a critical part of business continuity planning.
“Most staff are currently in the office,” Tatyana notes. “The closest active frontline is about 90 minutes by car. We don’t frequently retreat to the basement these days—there have been approximately 33 strikes in the outlying areas.”
“Only 33”—a phrase that now trips casually from her tongue, a stark measure of adjusted normalcy.
During our conversation, she admits, “sirens are active now, so technically I should be in shelter, but we generally only go if we hear explosions.” Common Mistake: Underestimating the cumulative psychological toll of constant, low-level alerts. Studios should mandate periodic mental health check-ins, not just physical safety protocols.
While this environment is her daily reality, hearing someone speak so matter-of-factly about persistent threat is jarring. Even from a distance in Scotland, feelings of dread emerged. How do Tatyana and her colleagues manage this pervasive anxiety?
“We rely on each other. We have a close-knit team united by our work, which feels like a civic duty—one of the few things within our control. Strikes aren’t constant in Dnipro, so we encourage one another, share humor, and genuinely laugh together.” Optimization Tip: Fostering a strong, supportive team culture is not just an HR goal; in crisis situations, it becomes a critical operational asset that directly impacts productivity and retention.
Victoria reports that their games “maintain strong performance” even with “challenges in deploying updates.” She stresses that “the deeper impact is human, not corporate. Our people endure immense stress; many have relocated—we established a new office in Warsaw, Poland, for them—so the burden is personal, compounded by pervasive uncertainty.
“This transcends business; it’s a human tragedy.”
Leadership in Crisis: Strategies for Coping
Despite discussing one of recent history’s grave humanitarian crises, both women exhibit remarkable composure. When questioned about the future, their responses were both humbling and hopeful.
“Optimism is non-negotiable, I believe,” Victoria asserts. “As an optimist by nature, I find it essential in business and as a human being. I must believe in a return to normality; otherwise, progress is impossible.
“We hold onto hope that this madness will cease soon, and ordinary life will resume. I eagerly anticipate visiting our Ukrainian offices and team—a priority for the foreseeable future.”
“We believe in victory,” Tatyana affirms. “We have faith in our military, our economy, and our community. People have seen their futures and dreams dissolve, yet we remain in Ukraine to contribute because this is our home.
“I am deeply thankful for the global support for Ukraine and urge its continuation to secure our victory.”
Leadership Lesson: Trofimova and Margolina demonstrate that effective crisis leadership balances clear-eyed operational pragmatism (evacuation buses, new offices) with the deliberate cultivation of hope and purpose. This duality—addressing immediate physical needs while nurturing psychological resilience—is a model for any creative leader facing sustained adversity.
Looking Forward: Hope and Practical Support
For those in the global gaming community wondering how to assist, direct support for humanitarian efforts is crucial. The following organizations are providing aid:
Red Cross | UNICEF | Save the Children
Industry Action Point: Beyond donations, game studios and publishers worldwide can explore partnerships with Ukrainian developers, offer remote work opportunities for displaced talent, or commit a percentage of specific game sales to relevant aid funds. Supporting the creative economy is a form of long-term humanitarian aid.
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » The Ukrainian devs who are making games in a bomb shelter: “It’s our duty” Nordcurrent's leaders share how they maintain game development operations amid Ukraine's conflict, offering resilience strategies for creative industries.