Russia accuses World of Tanks executives of 'extremist activities,' moves to seize assets of Russian publisher
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Top executives at the companies responsible for World of Tanks are facing pressure from the Russian government, which a RIA Novosti report (Google translated, via Eurogamer) says has accused Wargaming owner Viktor Kisly and Lesta Games owner Malik Khatazhaev of "extremist activities" related to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government has reportedly seized Lesta Group assets as a result of the charge, and is also seeking to seize all of Khatazhaev's holdings in the company.
World of Tanks developer Wargaming was founded in Minsk, Belarus, in 1998, but relocated its headquarters to Cyprus in 2011, and has opened numerous other studios around the world in the years since. In 2022, following the the launch of Russia's unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it pulled out of Belarus and Russia, transferring control of World of Tanks to Lesta Games, a Russian studio Wargaming had acquired in 2011. Wargaming said it was "no longer affiliated" with Lesta as of March 31, 2022.
That separation doesn't seem to matter much to the government of Russia. The RIA Novosti report says the Prosecutor General's Office believes Khatazhaev and Kisly "are part of an association that carries out extremist activities," a claim it supported by citing reports about Wargaming's opposition to the invasion and fundraising efforts for Ukrainians.
The opposition and fundraising claims are true. In 2022, shortly after the invasion began, Wargaming fired creative director Sergey Burkatovskiy after he voiced support for the attack, and in 2023 the company raised more than $1 million through the sale of Ukraine-themed bundles in six of its games to purchase ambulances.
Those are hardly what I would call "extremist activities," but you can at least understand where it's coming from: A corrupt, criminal government trying to justify (or at least camouflage) its illegal activities for at-home consumption is nothing new, after all.
What's more baffling is how Lesta got wrapped up in all of this. Wargaming's Ukrainian fundraiser came well after the split between it and Lesta, for instance, and according to a separate RBC Group report (Google translated), Lesta issued a statement at the same time indicating that it was not involved in the effort.
The move against Lesta may simply reflect the fact that Russia really can't do much about Wargaming. It's clearly not happy with the company's pro-Ukraine behavior: In 2022, for instance, the Belarusian KGB added Wargaming's chief business development officer Nikolai Katselapov to its terrorist watchlist, a largely symbolic move, assuming Katselapov has enough sense not to go back. But because Wargaming no longer has operations in Russia or Belarus, asset seizure isn't really an option like it is for Lesta.
Wargaming essentially confirmed that state of affairs in a statement provided to PC Gamer. "Wargaming made a strategic exit from the Russian and Belarusian markets three years ago," a representative said. "The company disposed of its business in Russia and Belarus to the local management at zero cost and on a debt-free, cash-free basis, with no consideration to take it back. Wargaming doesn't have any assets or business interests in Russia and Belarus."
The RIA Novosti report says the assets of the Lesta Group have already been seized; the company said in a statement posted to Telegram that it is in full compliance with the law in Russia and Belarus, and is "providing full assistance to law enforcement agencies to resolve all issues that have arisen as quickly as possible."
I've reached out to Wargaming for comment and will update if I receive a reply.
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