Russian Gov Seizes World of Tanks Dev Lesta Studio

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Summary

  • The Russian government is attempting to seize World of Tanks developer Lesta Studio over Ukraine ties.
  • If this occurs, any money from the game will count as state revenue.
  • It’s unclear how this will affect World of Tanks or the team behind it in Russia and Belarus.

The Russian authorities are making efforts to take control of Lesta Studio, the creators of World of Tanks, due to their connections with Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there has been a strained relationship between the game and Russia, but things calmed down following some initial turmoil during the early stages of the conflict. However, now the fate of World of Tanks in Russia hangs in the balance as the government takes steps against it.

Previously, Lesta Studio was under the umbrella of Wargaming, a company responsible for running the popular game “World of Tanks” in many regions worldwide. However, due to events surrounding the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Wargaming ceased its operations in Russia and Belarus. Consequently, management of the game’s live services in these countries was transferred to Lesta, which had separated from Wargaming around the same period. The fact that Lesta is linked to Wargaming, a company supportive of Ukraine, has attracted attention from the Russian government.

As a fan, I’ve learned that according to RIA reports, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has asked the court to halt Lesta’s current operations and transfer all of its shares to the state. Essentially, this action could place the studio under the Russian government, with any profits from these shares being considered as state income. This decision is linked to accusations that the developer of World of Tanks is part of an organization promoting “extremist activities.” The Prosecutor General’s Office seems particularly concerned about the game’s connections to Ukraine. Wargaming, the creator of World of Tanks, has been open about its backing for Ukraine, donating $1 million to the Ukrainian Red Cross in 2022 and later funding ambulance purchases through Ukraine-themed content within the game.

Russian Government Files to Seize World of Tanks Developer Over Connections to Ukraine

Besides those charitable contributions, video game company Wargaming dismissed Sergey Burkatovskiy, the creative director of “World of Tanks,” due to a social media message that expressed support for Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Notably, Wargaming is no longer managing the game’s Russian and Belarusian operations, but Lesta, a former subsidiary of Wargaming, may still have some original staff working on the game in Russia. This connection to Ukraine appears to be the reason for Russian government intervention, as Lesta has filed a grievance against this decision.

It remains uncertain how this development may impact “World of Tanks” or its creators in Russia and Belarus. This is not the first instance of conflict between Russian authorities and video game companies. In late 2024, the Russian government warned it might prohibit “STALKER 2” if it included anti-Russian content, a move possibly triggered by the game’s Ukrainian origins.

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2025-04-28 20:09