Amidst claims of extremist activities due to Ukraine support, the big bosses at World of Tanks are facing some serious heat from the Russian government. According to reports from Russian state media, the top executives behind World of Tanks have been accused of extremist activities because of their support for Ukraine.
The owner of World of Tanks maker Wargaming and the head honcho of the game’s Russian operator Lesta Games could have their stakes in their companies seized by the Russian government. It looks like things are getting pretty messy over there.
After Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, development on World of Tanks was split in two. Wargaming made a public announcement that they were pulling out of Russia, and their offices in Minsk, Moscow, and St. Petersburg continued on under the Lesta Games name. So now, there are two versions of World of Tanks floating around, but the Russian government doesn’t seem to care about the difference.
The Russian news agency RIA.ru, which is owned by the Russian state, reported that the prosecutor general in Russia wants to seize the shares held by Lesta owner Malik Khatazhaev and Wargaming owner Viktor Kisly. The evidence they are using? Wargaming’s support for Ukraine, including an in-game campaign to raise funds for ambulances. Seems like a bit of a stretch, if you ask me.
Even though the in-game campaign was nothing to do with Lesta Games, the Russian government is using it as a reason to potentially seize the company’s funds. Lesta Games released a statement on Telegram saying they haven’t done anything wrong and have nothing to hide. But will that be enough to save them from the wrath of the Russian authorities?
Not really sure why this matters, but it seems like the Russian government is really cracking down on anyone who doesn’t support their “special operation” in Ukraine. It’s a pretty tense situation, to say the least.
Eurogamer reached out to Wargaming for a comment, but it’s unclear if they will respond. With all this drama going on, who knows what will happen next in the world of World of Tanks.
