Wargaming, the company behind the game World of Tanks, was founded by Victor Kislyi, a Belarusian. The company later moved its headquarters to Cyprus and has multiple studios worldwide.
Impacted by the Russia-Ukraine war that began in 2022, Wargaming stood by Ukraine, running various campaigns to aid Ukrainians and withdrawing from the Belarus-Russia business. This led to the sale of the Lesta Studio in Russia, acquired in 2011, to local management in 2022.
Three years later, the Russian government seized Lesta Studio’s assets, claiming dissatisfaction with Wargaming and Viktor Kisly (the former owner) for supporting Ukraine. Wargaming announced their withdrawal from the Russian and Belarusian business, releasing the studio to local management for free, cutting ties completely.
Source – VGC, GamesIndustry
Lesta Studio continues to develop tank and warship games inherited from the original Wargaming.
TLDR: Wargaming, known for World of Tanks, faced repercussions for supporting Ukraine amid the Russia-Ukraine war, leading to the sale of its Russian studio and eventual complete withdrawal from Russia and Belarusian business.
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