In Moscow, Wargaming’s successor in Belarus and Russia labeled “extremist”

A Moscow court has declared the activities of the video game company Lesta Games “extremist” in Russia, according to media reports.

This ruling could lead to a ban on distributing Lesta’s games, including World of Tanks, World of Warships, and Tanks Blitz. Lesta previously stated it had not violated any Russian or Belarusian laws and had “nothing to fear.”

Lesta’s Belarus-registered legal entities, with offices in Minsk, are to be confiscated by the state. Since 2022, the company has developed World of Tanks (marketed in Russia and Belarus as Mir Tankov).

Russia’s Prosecutor General alleges that Lesta is linked to the Belarusian (now-based Cypriot) company Wargaming, which exited the Russian and Belarusian markets in 2022, closed its Minsk office, and later expressed support for Ukraine’s armed forces.

After the court decision, Lesta published several posts on social media reaffirming its support for Russia in the war against Ukraine.