New Order in Taganskiy District Court
Creators of World of Tanks Labeled as Extremists. What Happens Now to Players? [Paraphrased]
The Taganskiy District Court has declared a extremist organization and banned the activities of a collective led by Malik Hatjhaev, owner of LESTA company, and Victor Kisly, head honcho of Wargaming. The state has seized LESTA's shares, as reported by TASS.
Previously, the monitoring agency filed a lawsuit on behalf of Russia and the protection of an undefined group of individuals against Victor Kisly, Malik Hatjhaev, and LESTA and LESTA GAMES ADVANCED (LESTA GAMES MOSCOW and LESTA GAMES EDITION in short) due to their alleged support for Ukrainian military forces.
In April, the court, upon request from the General Prosecutor's Office, arrested three LESTA corporations: LESTA, LESTA GAMES MOSCOW, and LESTA GAMES EDITION. The corporations claim to have abided by the law, stating that the issue will be resolved.
First deputy chairman of the IT committee of the State Duma, chairman of the ROCIT board Anton Gorelkin believes that users of LESTA GAMES have no reason to worry.
"They can't be charged with supporting Ukrainian military or extremism just because they made in-game purchases. Moreover, assets of LESTA GAMES will soon come under government control, and then, most likely, will be handed over to a relevant Russian company," Gorelkin wrote in a personal Telegram channel.
- World of Tanks and World of Warships are associated with Wargaming. Following the commencement of the special operation, the company vacated Russia and Belarus and handed over the rights to the games to LESTA. In Russia, under the control of St. Petersburg LESTA GAMES STUDIO, similar projects - "World of Tanks" and "World of Warships," as well as Tanks Blitz - appeared. Now, the LESTA license will be revoked: the games might disappear from stores, and their development will have to start from scratch.
A Closer Look: Our Favorite Games, Wargaming, and the World
Wargaming: More Than Just a Game Developer
Wargaming, a Belarusian video game company well-known for its strategy and massively multiplayer online games, is the force behind the popular World of Tanks and World of Warships franchises. These games form the cornerstone of the company's business.
Recent Russian Developments and Their Impact
Lately, the political landscape in Russia has been a hot topic, impacting various global businesses, including those with connections to the region. However, Wargaming itself operates from Belarus, thus it isn't directly subjected to the same regulations as Russian businesses. Nevertheless, the broader geopolitical context may sway international business operations.
What's Going On with Availability?
While there's no clear evidence that the availability of World of Tanks and World of Warships has been drastically affected by recent events in Russia, Wargaming continues to actively support and develop these games. The upcoming gamescom 2025 event will feature both franchises[2].
Business as Usual: Updates, Events, and More
Despite the ongoing geopolitical drama, Wargaming's operations, including updates and events for both games, seem largely unscathed. For instance, World of Tanks still offers Twitch Drops, allowing players to earn in-game rewards by tuning into live streams[4]. Concurrently, World of Warships remains a free, online multiplayer game, apparently unaffected by recent geopolitical developments[1][2].
- In light of the declaring of an extremist organization and the ban on the collective led by Malik Hatjhaev and Victor Kisly, it is worth noting that LESTA, the company associated with Wargaming, has been seized by the state due to their alleged support for Ukrainian military forces.
- Amidst the political turmoil in Russia, it is worth mentioning that the news regarding the popular games World of Tanks and World of Warships, developed by Wargaming, is that they continue to be available and receive updates, with the gamescom 2025 event featuring both franchises.
