The gaming industry has not been immune to the effects of the war in Ukraine. Last year,STALKER 2developerGSC Games released a documentarydetailing how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 affected the game’s journey to release. Now, the Russian government has set its sights on a new target located within its borders.
As cited by state-owned news portal RIA Novosti, the general prosecutor of the Tagan district court in Moscow ordered the seizure of all shares of game developer Lesta. The source also reports a ban on business activities from Malik Khatazhaev (Lesta owner) and Viktor Kisly (Wargaming owner), better known for itsWorld of Tanksgame.
The prosecutor’s office accuses both Khatazhaev and Kisly of carrying out “extremist activities”. The root of the process appears to be a fundraising campaign from 2023.
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Wargaming.net hosted the “Wargaming United to Support Ukraine” campaign across all of its live service games to raise funds for Ukraine.The goal, according to the company, was to fund the purchase of type C ambulances for Ukrainian emergency services.
Lesta Games is currently responsible for the operation and maintenance of Wargamingtitles in Russiaand Belarus. The tank simulator World of Tanks has constantly ranked as the most popular game in Russia in recent years.
Wargame Versus Russia
The bad blood between Wargaming and the Russian government is nothing new. Afterthe Russian invasion of Ukrainein February 2022, with Belarusian support, the company donated $1 million to the Ukrainian Red Cross.
Wargaming creative director Sergey Burkatovsky was fired from the company after making comments supporting the invasion two days into the full-scale war.
Despite its overwhelming popularity in Russia and Belarus,Wargaming shut down its studios in Minsk, Moscow, and St. Petersburg in 2022. The company is said to have incurred $250 million in losses as consequence.
The company continues to operate and support its office in Kyiv, which is home to over 500 workers. Wargaming also has offices in over a dozen countries, with the core of World of Tanks development happening in Belgrade, Serbia.
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