Russia Tries to Seize World of Tanks Assets — Because Ukraine Liked the Game Too Much

In a move that feels straight out of a Cold War drama, Russia has decided it’s time to go after World of Tanks — or more specifically, its former developer Wargaming — because the company… supported Ukraine. Yes, really.

This week, Russia’s Deputy Prosecutor General filed a lawsuit seeking to seize the assets of Lesta Studios, a Russian developer that spun off from Wargaming back in 2022. The reason? Lesta’s former parent company has been too friendly with Ukraine, and now that’s apparently grounds for a full-blown government takeover.

"Wargaming made a strategic exit from the Russian and Belarusian markets three years ago... with no consideration to take it back."

Wargaming Said ‘No Thanks’ to Russia Years Ago

Let’s rewind to 2022. Russia had just launched its invasion of Ukraine, and the global backlash was immediate. Many companies pulled out of the Russian market, including Wargaming among them.

The Belarusian-Cypriot studio, best known for World of Tanks, World of Warships, and World of Warplanes, made a decisive exit. They handed off their Russian and Belarusian operations to local leadership at zero cost, walked away debt-free, and made it very clear they had no plans to come back.

That same year, Wargaming also fired creative director Sergey Burkatovskiy for publicly supporting the invasion.

“He has been let go and is no longer at the company.”

But that wasn’t the end of it. In 2023, Wargaming released Ukraine-themed in-game bundles across six of its titles, donating 100% of the proceeds to fund medical equipment and highly specialized C-type ambulances for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.

So when videos surfaced of Ukrainian fighters playing World of Tanks near the front lines, Russia apparently decided that was enough to label Wargaming — and by extension, its ex-subsidiary Lesta — a threat.

The State's Legal Logic: Gamers Are Terrorists Now?

Russian prosecutors are claiming that Wargaming owner Viktor Kisly and Lesta’s Malik Khatazhaev are part of an “association carrying out extremist activities.”

The court filing even references media coverage showing Ukrainian troops playing Wargaming titles, using it as evidence that the game has become a tool of Ukrainian morale or propaganda.

It’s a wild reach. But the actual goal seems pretty obvious: get control of Wargaming’s old tech, IP, or infrastructure in Russia, even if it’s been independent for three years.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Game Dev Scene Is Quietly Crushing It

While Russia is stuck seizing game studios, Ukraine has been quietly building one of the most impressive indie scenes in Europe — even during wartime.

Developers like GSC Game World, 4A Games, and Frogwares have kept making titles under extreme conditions — from exile, under bombardment, or through massive logistical nightmares. But the games keep coming.

Wargaming’s charity work isn’t some one-off PR stunt. It’s part of a bigger picture where Ukrainian gamedev is emerging as one of the most resilient and creative forces in modern PC gaming.

It’s not likely that Russia will gain anything meaningful from this asset grab. Lesta was already handed off, and Wargaming has scrubbed its hands of the region. This looks more like a symbolic move — part revenge, part power play.

But the message is clear: Russia sees games as political tools, and companies that show solidarity with Ukraine can face real consequences if they ever had a footprint in the region.

It’s also a warning to international publishers still flirting with Russian markets. The state can — and will — come for your local subsidiaries, your revenue, and your people if you ever step out of line politically.

"Each ambulance funded will help save hundreds of lives."

Wargaming isn’t perfect. No big publisher is. But in this case, they’ve drawn a firm line, supported a country under siege, and walked away from massive profits to do what they thought was right.

And that, apparently, is all it takes to get accused of extremism in Russia now.