{"id":272262,"date":"2025-10-21T08:50:27","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T08:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/?p=272262"},"modified":"2025-10-22T09:46:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T09:46:06","slug":"exclusive-deep-dive-into-esports-manager-interview-with-lead-developer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/exclusive-deep-dive-into-esports-manager-interview-with-lead-developer","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive Deep Dive into Esports Manager – Interview with Lead Developer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Esports Manager isn\u2019t just another management simulator. Behind it stands Andrii, the CEO and co-founder of Neurona Games, a small independent studio driven by passion rather than corporate backing. Together with his team, he has spent years shaping what they call the \u201cFootball Manager of competitive gaming\u201d \u2014 a project that captures the real emotions, tactics, and business of modern esports.<\/p>\n

In this exclusive interview, Andrii reveals how the idea evolved from a modest mobile prototype into one of the most anticipated esports simulations on Steam, with over 50,000 wishlists and growing buzz from real clubs and players.<\/p>\n

A Game Born From Passion and Community<\/h2>\n

The origins of Esports Manager trace back to 2019, when the development team launched a mobile version focused on Dota. Despite modest success, the spark had been lit.<\/p>\n

We started developing the mobile version in 2019. We released it in 2021. We pretty much broke even \u2014 not much profit, but people started talking about us and asking for a PC version<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

That pivot came in December 2023, when the team launched the Steam page. Just a few months later, in February 2024, a viral tweet from a Brazilian content creator brought them 20,000 wishlists in a single day. Since then, development hasn\u2019t stopped.<\/p>\n\n

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Since then, the game\u2019s wishlist count has ballooned to over 50,000, with steady growth of 300+ new users daily. The hype grew stronger when real esports clubs like FUT, ALTERNATE aTTaX, and Copenhell Gaming started appearing in the game.<\/p>\n

Right now we have over 50,000 wishlists. When we started signing clubs like FUT and Falcons, it triggered another wave of growth. We\u2019re still riding that wave<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

From Patreon to Publisher: How Funding Took Shape<\/h2>\n

Initially funded through Patreon \u2014 bringing in $500 to $800 per month \u2014 every cent went to the developers. But in 2025, the team signed with Indie.io as their official publisher.<\/p>\n

A month ago, we signed a publishing deal with Indie.io. They\u2019re handling marketing, localization, events \u2014 and gave us real funding. That allowed us to hire another senior Unity developer and shift the release to Q1 2026<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

Building a Full-Scope Esports Ecosystem<\/h2>\n

From the beginning, the game was modeled after Football Manager \u2014 but with an esports spin. You\u2019ll manage players, coaches, psychologists, budgets, training sessions, scouting, sponsorships, and even in-game debriefs after matches. But what sets Esports Manager apart are its two killer features.<\/p>\n

The Talk module is one of our proudest features. You\u2019re not just clicking dialogue \u2014 you\u2019re managing nonlinear conversations with real consequences. Morale, chemistry, injuries \u2014 everything can be influenced through these interactions<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

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The second core system is the Tactics Creator, allowing you to simulate full in-game scenarios. You\u2019ll drag and drop players on a minimap, assign grenade throws, fake flashes, entry points \u2014 essentially scripting your own set pieces.<\/p>\n

Tactics Creator is a killer feature. You can draw out strats, place smokes, call for split pushes, rotate mid-round \u2014 everything. And then export and share it with the community<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

The game supports a full budget management system with four types of financial streams, allows bootcamp purchases, staff hiring, and device upgrades (which affect morale). Clubs don\u2019t pay to be in the game \u2014 all cooperation is barter-based. But brands are lining up for product placement.<\/p>\n

Some hardware companies already reached out, asking us to include their devices. We\u2019re planning verified product placements \u2014 digital items linked to real-world gear<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n