Wargaming withdraws from Russia and Belarus

The Belarusian publisher Wargaming departs from Russia and Belarus. It is not known why the company has chosen to do this. Wargaming has not stated a specific reason for the departure, but it is believed to be related to the war in Ukraine.

“Over the past few weeks, Wargaming has conducted a strategic review of its global business operations. The company has decided not to own or operate any more businesses in Russia and Belarus and will exit both countries,” Wargaming said in a statement. know a LinkedIn message. The head office of the publisher is located in Cyprus.

Wargaming writes that since March 31, it has been in the process of transferring the live service of its games in Russia and Belarus to Lesta Studio, which was previously part of Wargaming and is based in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. This includes the games World of Tanks and World of Warships. Wargaming will also close its studio in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

The publisher says it will not benefit from the transfer and even expects to suffer “large losses as a result of the decision”. During the transition period, the games will remain available in Russia and Belarus. There they are operated by Lesta Studio. It is not clear how long the transfer process will take.

Wargaming has not said why it is leaving Russia and Belarus, but it seems that the war in Ukraine is playing a part. Last month, the publisher fired World of Tanks director Sergey Burkatovskiy for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Wargaming has a studio in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The publisher said at the time that it would do its best to support the more than 550 employees from Ukraine in their flight from the country.

Update, 16.19: In an earlier version of the article, it was not entirely clear whether Wargaming’s games will be completely taken over by Lesta Studio. This only concerns the services of the games in Russia and Belarus. That is why the article has been amended.