The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has moved to collect 100 per cent of Lesta’s shares as state revenue from Wargaming, the developer of World of Tanks.
A report has emerged from the RIA (a Russian news source) detailing the government’s purported plan to “collect 100% of Lesta’s shares as state revenue” in response to the game developer’s alleged support for Ukraine. Initially, the Prosecutor General’s office requested that Moscow’s Tagansky District Court prohibit the activities of the association, which consisted of Lesta owner Malik Khatazhaev and Wargaming.net owner Viktor Kisly.
On top of seizing “one hundred percent” of Lesta’s assets and ending the association between Wargaming.net and Lesta—a Russian video game development and publishing company under the Wargaming banner until 2022, when they split—the Russian government alleges “Kislyi and Khatazhayev are part of an association that carries out extremist activities.”
Wargaming is best known for its breakout title, World of Tanks. Around the time Lesta split from Wargaming, the company, which helped develop World of Tanks, pulled all its operations out of Russia and Belarus in 2022. In the same year, Wargaming fired creative director Sergey Burkatovskiy over his public support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to PC Gamer. At the time, Wargaming said Burkatovskiy’s opinion “is in complete contradiction” with the company’s values.
Back in March 2025, Wargaming issued a statement saying, “Wargaming made a strategic exit from the Russian and Belarusian markets three years ago. 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,” making it clear the company has no attachments to Russia or Belarus at this time.
Although, as of this post, the Russian government has seized Lesta and World of Tanks, it remains unclear if the popular game will be affected. At the end of the RIA report, it states, “Lesta filed a private complaint against the decision of the Tagansky District Court of Moscow, in part challenging the interim measures in the prosecutor’s claim” (translated by Google). Until that complaint is resolved, World of Tanks appears to remain unaffected.
