Diana Larina is Chief Marketing Officer at Evoplay, a game development studio known for its slots, instant games, and gamified engagement tools. Under the newly launched Evoplay Studios framework, the company now operates a multi-studio production model, letting creative teams focus on different genres and markets while sharing a common foundation of technology, data, and distribution infrastructure, delivering more relevant content without sacrificing consistency.
In this CasinoRank interview, Larina discusses the thinking behind Evoplay Studios, the company’s year-round strategy around events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and its Penalty Shoot-Out franchise, and growth potential across instant games, lottery, and gamified engagement. She also reflects on lessons from Big Adventures and Season of Legends, the affiliate-driven, industry-recognized title Uncrossable Rush, and where she sees the next battleground forming around personalisation and player retention.
Evoplay Studios brings multiple creative teams under one framework. What challenges was this model designed to solve, and how will it improve content delivery for operators?
Diana Larina: For us, Evoplay Studios is a response to the scale Evoplay has reached. A single-studio model works well while the portfolio is smaller, but at a certain point, it forces you to choose between product directions, markets, and player groups. The multi-studio model removes that bottleneck: different teams can focus on different genres and market needs at the same time.
What remains common is the foundation behind the games – Evoplay’s technology, infrastructure, data, distribution experience, and quality standards. That gives studios freedom to develop their own ideas without turning the ecosystem into a set of disconnected brands.
For operators, the result is clear: more relevant content, a faster response to market demand, and the same level of product quality and integration they already expect from Evoplay.
Evoplay Studios is a part of that wider ecosystem, but the value for partners remains simple – more choice without adding complexity.
Penalty Shoot Out: Super Spin was launched around the 2026 FIFA World Cup. What player insights shaped the game’s development, and what opportunities do major sporting events create?
Diana Larina: No brand walks into the World Cup expecting to steal its spotlight. The smarter move is to ride the wave of attention that’s already building around it.
So our planning doesn’t start when the tournament kicks off, and it doesn’t wrap up when the final whistle blows either. We treat events like this as a continuous cycle, not a one-off campaign, which means working in parallel across content, PR, partnerships, affiliate channels, and new releases, all year round.
Take Penalty Shoot-Out as an example. It started as one game and has since turned into a whole football-themed franchise. For this championship, we added two new members to that series – the instant game Cup Mania and the slot Super Spin – and that split wasn’t arbitrary.
It came from how different players engage with football-themed games. The new instant title was created for those who prefer faster, more dynamic gameplay, while Super Spin became the first slot in the Penalty Shoot-Out line-up, built for players who enjoy a more classic reel-based format.
Evoplay has expanded into instant games, lottery, and gamified platforms. Which vertical has the strongest long-term potential, and what player behaviours support that view?
Diana Larina: I wouldn’t look at these verticals separately, because the strongest growth will come from how they work together. Instant games and crash-style formats clearly match the behaviour of a newer player generation: shorter sessions, faster decisions, mobile-first habits, and a stronger need for immediate feedback.
Lottery also has strong potential because it is already familiar to a wide audience. The opportunity is to keep the simple, recognisable format but add a more dynamic digital entertainment layer for today’s players.
At the same time, gamified engagement platforms have huge long-term value because they extend the player journey beyond one game. Tools like tournaments, quests, and progression systems give players more reasons to return and give operators more ways to build retention around the content.
So, for us, the biggest opportunity is not only in launching new verticals but in connecting fast gameplay with stronger engagement mechanics.
What lessons from Big Adventures shaped the Four Seasons of Legends retention framework, and which performance metrics are now receiving greater attention?
Diana Larina: Big Adventures taught us that players respond best when a campaign feels like a journey, not a one-time promotion. Competition, visible progress, strong rewards, and a clear final goal helped create emotional involvement around the games.
Season of Legends takes that lesson further. Instead of building engagement around one big campaign peak, we created a year-round retention framework with seasonal phases, tournaments, Wheel of Fortune, and our new always-on tool – Infinity Prize Drops.
Now, we pay even more attention to retention across the full campaign period and to how consistently players return between the bigger promotional moments.
Uncrossable Rush became Evoplay’s first co-developed title with an affiliate partner and later earned industry recognition. Beyond the commercial success, what did the project teach you about combining player data, affiliate insights, and game development?
Diana Larina: Uncrossable Rush showed us what kind of result can be achieved when the product is built around the user from the very beginning. SlotCatalog brought a different view of the market: what players search for, how they discover games, which mechanics attract attention, and what makes a title easier to promote.
This added a valuable layer to Evoplay’s own product, maths, design, and technical expertise. With Uncrossable Rush, we connected player insight, affiliate knowledge, and product development from the very beginning.
The main lesson was that affiliates can be more than traffic partners. When they understand player behaviour deeply, they can help shape products that are easier to explain, easier to discover, and more relevant for both operators and players.
Looking at the next phase of Evoplay’s growth, where do you see the biggest competitive battleground: game mechanics, gamification, lottery innovation, AI personalisation, or something else?
Diana Larina: I think the biggest battleground will be the ability to connect product, engagement, and personalisation into one clear player journey. Proprietary mechanics still matter, and lottery or instant formats have strong potential, but operators are no longer competing only through single-game releases.
Players expect faster experiences, visible progress, rewards, and content that feels relevant to them. That is why gamification layers, personalised engagement, localisation, and flexible promotional tools will become even more important.
What operators may still underestimate is the value of the full ecosystem around the game. The future is not only about creating a strong title but about giving players reasons to discover it, return to it, and stay connected with the brand over time.
With a background in digital media and a keen eye for emerging technologies, Ronaldo bridges the gap between players and platforms through clear, insightful reporting to the iGaming industry.
