World of Tanks lets gamers have interaction in simulated conflict battles, however the true conflict between Russia and Ukraine has led to Lesta Video games–the Russian studio behind Mir Tankov, an offshoot of World of Tanks–facing expenses that it illegally funneled cash from its title to Ukraine.
The unique developer of World of Tanks is Wargaming, an organization that withdrew from Russia and Belarus immediately due to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Wargaming has also raised money in support of Ukraine, which might be against the law underneath present Russian regulation. Lesta Video games–which took over the native Russian rights for World of Tanks and developer Mir Tankov–has repeatedly careworn that it has no relationship with Wargaming. That wasn’t sufficient to stop Russia from seizing management of Lesta Video games.
As reported by PC Gamer, Moscow has frozen all belongings that belong to Lesta Video games, and accused the corporate’s co-founder, Malik Khatazhaev, of being a part of an “extremist group” underneath the management of Wargaming CEO Viktor Kisly. The proof cited in court docket reportedly drew upon footage of Wargaming’s help for Ukraine.
Russian media is reportedly telling World of Tanks gamers within the nation that they will not be arrested for spending cash on the sport that may have gone to Ukraine. Duma’s Data Know-how Committee’s deputy chairman, Anton Gorelkin, additionally advised gamers that Lesta Video games’ belongings will probably be handed over to “a specialised Russian firm.”
It bears repeating that the World of Tanks recreation rights in Russia are solely restricted to that nation. Wargaming nonetheless has its World of Tanks belongings and rights in different international locations. Lesta Video games is not the one online game developer to be affected by the continuing battle in Ukraine. Developer GSC Recreation World continued to develop Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl whilst a few of the devs both fled the nation or remained to battle. The story of these builders was advised in GameSpot’s documentary, How Stalker 2 Survived a War.
