Russia has taken over the World of Tanks developer, marking a new chapter in Moscow’s crusade for tech control. What began as a sovereign internet campaign has become a land grab for some of the country’s most successful digital businesses. Now, one of Russia’s most famous online games is officially state-owned.

UPDATE: In the meantime, the official representation of Wargaming contacted us and informed us about the whole matter as follows: “There is no Russian version of World of Tanks in Russia (Wargaming has completely withdrawn from the Russian market), but now there is a game developed entirely by Lesta, Mir Tankov, whose name can be translated as World of Tanks, but has nothing to do with us.” 

Ergo, Lesta no longer has anything to do with World of Tanks, and the game they are developing, although it has the same title, is not the same as the original World of Tanks.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The nationalisation of Lesta Games, the developer behind World of Tanks, is now complete. Moscow’s Tagansky District Court seized the company’s Russian assets on extremism charges, as reported by The Bell. This followed the Prosecutor General’s Office’s move to designate both Wargaming founder Viktor Kisly and Lesta owner Malik Khatazhaev as “extremists.”

For decades, Russian game developers have thrived without heavy government intervention. But since the invasion of Ukraine, the sector has been rocked by a wave of takeovers, with Kremlin-connected power players moving in on top online businesses. Yandex has been dismantled, Ozon.ru could be next, and VK has been pouring money into new acquisitions. Meanwhile, Wildberries—a leading e-commerce player—merged with a much smaller billboard company in a puzzling deal.

World of Tanks: The Next Big State Acquisition

The message from the Kremlin is clear: leaving Russia is seen as a condemnation of Putin’s war, and even subtle criticism can trigger a hostile takeover. Lesta Games, which took over the Russian versions of Wargaming’s titles after the 2022 invasion, became the latest target. The main reason: a 2023 fundraiser by Wargaming for a Ukrainian charity, even though the campaign wasn’t run in the Russian edition of the game. Despite Lesta’s public support for Russian troops, the authorities cited ongoing links to Wargaming as grounds for asset seizure.

By 2024, Lesta posted RUB35bn ($390mn) in revenue and RUB16bn in profit, boasting 60 million registered accounts and over 6.5 million monthly active users. Russian Forbes valued the company at $1.5bn—twice as much as state-controlled VK. Previous reports suggested Gem Capital and VK were interested in acquiring Lesta, but Wargaming retained the right to revoke game licenses if a hostile takeover occurred—potentially cutting off access to app stores and Steam.

Nationalisation by “Extremism” Charges

Russia’s post-invasion elite has seen a major wealth reshuffle, with numerous 1990s-privatised assets now back in state hands. Legal experts warn that “extremism” designations are becoming a common tool for nationalising private business. The fate of World of Tanks and Lesta now hangs in the balance—underlining that in today’s Russian games industry, politics is everywhere.

Source: IntelliNews