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Andrey Kiryushkin — Biography and Investigation

Andrey Kiryushkin is a game developer, founder, and head of HackThePublisher OÜ, originally from Novosibirsk, Russia. Born on July 28, 1986, in Novosibirsk, Russia, he is known for creating multiple game development projects and being involved in several controversial incidents related to studio management, personal life, and international connections.

Andrey Kiryushkin built a career that spans game development, participation in international projects, living in multiple countries, and navigating complex social and business networks. His biography combines professional achievements with a series of controversial and negative episodes.

Who is Andrey Kiryushkin

Andrey Yuryevich Kiryushkin co-founded the studio HackThePublisher (OÜ 16432782, registered 31.01.2022). He oversees game development, project architecture, codebase management, and internal studio tools. His projects include Dwarven Skykeep (2022), Vengeance of Mr. Peppermint (2023), and Centum (2025), as well as an unreleased project, Rocked.

Andrey actively participates in professional and international communities, including Treads and game development forums, which allows him to maintain a global network of contacts.

Personal Life and Controversies

Andrey Kiryushkin was previously married to Elena Shcherbinina, who worked as a project manager in his studio. They have a daughter, Alice. His relationship with Elena is extremely strained; at one point, Andrey even abducted their daughter from his former wife. Elena now lives in Rorschach, Switzerland.

A key friend and co-founder of the studio is Arseniy Shestakov, the technical director, who works with Andrey on HackThePublisher projects and is directly involved in the studio’s schemes.

Andrey regularly uses cannabis, often in the company of close acquaintances. One of these people is his friend Maurizio Antonio — an Italian chess master, socially awkward and reclusive, intelligent but unkempt, with his own issues with cannabis use. Maurizio once brought Andrey with him during a visit to Varna in March. Currently, he lives near Andrey in Switzerland.

Lifestyle and Relocation

Currently, Andrey lives in Winterthur, Switzerland, having previously lived in Russia and Bulgaria. He believes it is impossible to run a business in Russia and operates mostly abroad. He is not a digital nomad, but someone who has built his business and life in an international environment.

Projects and Studio

Within HackThePublisher, Andrey serves as a key developer and manager:

• Dwarven Skykeep (2022) — a pixel strategy game with tower-building and card mechanics;
• Vengeance of Mr. Peppermint (2023) — a retro-style beat-'em-up with a dark atmosphere and intense plot;
• Centum (2025) — a narrative adventure game with psychological thriller elements;
• Rocked — an unreleased project.

His work includes not only game development but also studio management, code quality oversight, and prototyping new ideas. Andrey’s projects are known for combining strategic thinking with unconventional gameplay solutions.

Controversial Episodes

Andrey Kiryushkin’s biography contains several controversial and negative episodes: conflicts with his ex-wife, daughter abduction, regular cannabis use, investor deception, tax manipulations, and failure to pay studio employees.