Top executives at the companies responsible for World of Tanks are facing pressure from the Russian government, which a RIA Novosti report (Google translated, via Eurogamer) says has accused Wargaming owner Viktor Kisly and Lesta Games owner Malik Khatazhaev of "extremist activities" related to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government has reportedly seized Lesta Group assets as a result of the charge, and is also seeking to seize all of Khatazhaev's holdings in the company.
World of Tanks developer Wargaming was founded in Minsk, Belarus, in 1998, but relocated its headquarters to Cyprus in 2011, and has opened numerous other studios around the world in the years since. In 2022, following the the launch of Russia's unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it pulled out of Belarus and Russia, transferring control of World of Tanks to Lesta Games, a Russian studio Wargaming had acquired in 2011. Wargaming said it was "no longer affiliated" with Lesta as of March 31, 2022.
