Russia is targeting the developers of World of Tanks over donations to Ukraine, signaling a broader crackdown on politically noncompliant tech firms, even as the video game exits Russian markets.
This August marks the fifteenth anniversary of the initial release of the hugely popular World of Tanks video game series. The game, which allows players to build a virtual arsenal of some of the most famous military tanks worldwide, currently maintains a daily player count in tens of thousands and a total player base of nearly nine million.
World of Tanks has also earned the ire of the Kremlin, not for any inaccurate depiction of the famed T-34 or KV-1, but rather because the game’s developers have supported Ukraine in the past.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the Russian government was exploring whether it could seize the assets of Wargaming and Lesta Games, the joint developers of the military simulation. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office called for Moscow’s Tagansky District Court to collect 100 percent of Lesta’s shares as state revenue, and requested that the court block all business activities from Lesta owner Malik Khatazhaev and Wargaming owner Viktor Kisly.
“Statement of claim by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia to prohibit the activities of the association consisting of V.V. Kisly and M.A. Khatazhaev and to transfer shares in the authorized capital of the defendants to the state,” the prosecutor general said in a statement, according to a report from the RIA News Agency.
Khatazhaev and Kisly are accused of extremist activities over donations made to Ukraine.
“They raised over $1 million for ambulances in Ukraine with an in-game fundraising campaign,” explained Dr. Matthew Schmidt, professor of political science and national security at the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at the University of New Haven.
“This is a punitive action to signal to other companies that Moscow is willing to punish companies that don’t support the Kremlin,” Schmidt told The National Interest. “Especially since the Lesta, the separate and independent Russian incorporated company, insists it had nothing to do with the fundraising campaign conducted by the separate EU company that was formed after the invasion in 2022.”
Wargaming has been in Russia’s crosshairs in the past, with its chief business development officer ending up on Russia’s terrorist watch list in 2023!
What Does This Mean for World of Tanks Gamers?
For players, the attempt to seize assets from the company heads means very little. It may not even matter to Wargaming, which was initially based in Belarus but expanded with studios throughout Europe and has relocated much of its operations to Cyprus.
It bought the Russian-based Lesta Games in 2011.
In April 2022, gaming news site Rock Paper Shotgun reported that Wargaming fired a creative director for supporting Russia following the Kremlin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Subsequently, the game developer cut ties with its Russian and Belarusian studios and announced it would no longer conduct business in those nations.
“Wargaming made a strategic exit from the Russian and Belarusian markets three years ago,” the company said in a statement to VideoGamesChronicle.com.
“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 has no assets or business interests in Russia and Belarus.”
Since then, the remaining Russian-based Lesta offices rebranded the game as Mir Tankov.
Lesta offered a statement the Telegram, “The company works in full compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, so we have no grounds for any concerns or concealment of information. We have not violated anything, and we have nothing to fear.”
What Are Russia’s Plans for World of Tanks?
Mir Tankov will likely continue as usual, but would-be tank crews inside Russia and Belarus won’t be able to play with those outside those nations.
According to technology industry expert Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group, this presents Russia with an opportunity as the country is set to mark the eightieth anniversary of the end of the “Great Patriotic War” in the coming weeks.
“[The Kremlin] could use it as a propaganda tool or another method to identify and attack anyone who disagrees with what Russia does,” Enderle told The National Interest.
Given that Russia has only been able to feature a single World War II-era T-34 at its most recent Victory Day parades, Mir Tankov would allow Moscow to conduct a virtual tank parade for Russian gamers. But there is still the risk that someone could find a way to destroy those tanks, just as Ukraine has managed on the real battlefields.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/ Aleksey H.
