The study is designed as an analytical examination of the mechanisms of social mobility and the formation of leadership competencies within the virtual space of the Russian massively multiplayer role-playing game “Malinovka.” The primary objective is to identify and characterize participants’ developmental trajectories: from the initial stage of mastering norms and role expectations to subsequent advancement and the attainment of senior managerial positions inside the factional structure. The methodological foundation is established through a systematic review of relevant academic publications, a comparative analysis of pertinent market indicators, and a content analysis of the regulatory and normative documents produced by the gaming community. The findings indicate that a hierarchically organized in-game architecture creates conditions for the accumulation of social capital and the stepwise development of competencies associated with strategic planning, conflict management, and team communication. The resulting conclusions are consistent with the hypothesis that game-based experience has a high probability of being productively converted into professional managerial skills. The presented propositions retain practical relevance for developers of online projects, researchers of digital social spaces, and human resource specialists who employ elements of gamification in corporate training programs.

Malinovka, MMORPG, social development, leadership, social capital, role-playing games, virtual communities, game mechanics, developmental trajectories, online interaction, digital socialization

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