Crisis stabilization for 100M+ player gaming infrastructure. Transformed deployment processes from 60 days to 5 days through strategic optimization.
In 2012, World of Tanks was experiencing unprecedented success. The game's rapid growth across multiple regions created significant infrastructure challenges that threatened to limit its expansion potential.
My Role: As Deputy Chief Technology Officer, I was tasked with building and scaling the global infrastructure while the product was experiencing hypergrowth. This meant not just solving immediate problems but creating systems that could scale with the company's ambitions.
The journey began in March 2013 with the ambitious goal of launching World of Tanks in the United States. The initial approach revealed systemic inefficiencies that were blocking our global expansion.
The original team estimated a two-month timeline for the Los Angeles site launch. This projection immediately raised red flags - at this pace, our global expansion would be severely limited.
From 2 Months to 5 Days: With the E3 exhibition looming less than a month away, I took charge of the project. Driven by the tight deadline, I worked tirelessly for 12 to 14 hours each day, actively guiding the team and implementing the optimized processes. We successfully handed over the equipment to the network engineers and administrators within just five days.
The implemented process optimizations proved to be a resounding success, slashing the launch time by an astounding 90% — from two months down to a mere five days. This remarkable achievement paved the way for a successful and timely launch at the E3 exhibition.
The game's popularity continued its upward trajectory, with online player numbers soaring. Fueled by this success and armed with our refined deployment process, we opened another site just two months later in Washington, D.C., further expanding our reach and solidifying World of Tanks' presence in the United States.
As demand for new game clusters surged globally, it became clear that we needed to scale our operations significantly. To achieve this, I envisioned building several autonomous teams of field engineers, each capable of independently launching new sites without my direct involvement.
Leveraging my extensive network within the data center industry, I swiftly assembled a team of highly skilled and experienced engineers. After a period of intensive training, we successfully launched five new sites across various locations within the next six months.
The growing number of points of presence, network devices, service provider connections, and change requests led to an overwhelming influx of trouble tickets. Unfortunately, the only thing declining amidst this growth was the quality of our network operations and Wargaming's satisfaction with the new backbone network.
The root of the problem lay in our limited network support resources. With only a single network architect managing the entire infrastructure, providing timely responses to network issues became virtually impossible.
Recognizing the urgent need for a dedicated network team, I was given full autonomy to build one from the ground up. However, the task was complicated by the team's designated location: Minsk, a city that, at the time, lacked appeal for many tech professionals.
To lead the network department, I reached out to my trusted colleague and renowned network expert, Oleg Yudin. We had previously collaborated on building the backbone network for Corbina Telecom, and I knew his expertise would be invaluable in tackling the challenges ahead.
Together we assembled a team of talented network engineers who stabilized the network within a couple of months. Over the next three months, we further refined our operations, elevating the backbone network to the standards of a top-tier telecommunications provider.
Results: This resulted in a dramatic improvement in satisfaction with the infrastructure, both within Wargaming and among our external partners.
Although our journeys with Wargaming eventually diverged, the established teams, implemented methodologies, and optimized processes continued to serve the company for years to come. They played a crucial role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality infrastructure for World of Tanks and other Wargaming projects, leaving a lasting legacy of efficiency and excellence.
Key Insight: For a rapidly growing product, unwavering technical and technological support is paramount. However, this doesn't always necessitate reinventing the wheel. Often, the key lies in swiftly assembling the optimal configuration using existing organizational, technical, and process-based elements.
Whether you're dealing with infrastructure scaling, deployment bottlenecks, or team building challenges, let's explore how I can help.