Summary
Russia has declared that Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi and Lesta Games founder Malik Khatajiev are “members of an extremist organisation.”
The verdict was delivered in Moscow City Court behind closed doors, shortly after the prosecutor-general accused Khatazhayev and Kislyi of ‘anti-Russian’ activity, referring toWorld of Tanks' fundraising campaign for Ukraine in 2023.
Metro author Dmitry Glukhovsky came under similar scrutiny and iswanted by the Russian governmentfor protesting the war in Ukraine.
As reported bydev.ua, the court ordered the seizure of all shares in Lesta Games, with assets soon to come under the state’s control, where they are likely to be transferred to an “appropriate Russian company”.
World Of Tanks Development Timeline
Shortly after Russia launched its invasion against Ukraine in 2022, developer Wargaming left Russia and Belarus, shutting down its offices in Minsk, Moscow, and St. Petersburg.
We saw similar stories unfold withLarianandGSC Game World.
In their place, Wargaming opened studios in Serbia and Poland, overseeing World of Tanks and World of Warships.
Russia Claims That It Will Not Target World Of Tanks Players
While both Wargaming and Lesta Games have been declared extremists for their supposed ‘anti-Russian’ behaviour, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Information Technology Committee, Anton Gorelkin, said on Telegram that players need not worry.
“They can’t be accused of supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces or extremism for making in-game purchases,” Gorelkin wrote. “Just as users of Instagram, which is banned in Russia and belongs to the extremist company Meta, have nothing to fear.”
As the case was held behind closed doors, no other official details have been released to the public yet.
