Russian Gaming Studio Lesta Games Faces Legal Troubles and Asset Seizure

The Russian gaming company Lesta Games, developer of popular titles "World of Tanks" and "World of Warships," has had its assets seized following a lawsuit from the Russian Prosecutor General's Office.

According to reports by RBC (translated via app2top), the Tagansky District Court in Moscow ordered the seizure of three key legal entities belonging to Lesta Games on April 17:

LLC Lesta.
LLC Lesta Games Moscow.
LLC Lesta Games Agency.

The company has responded to the situation through its official Telegram channel, stating: "The company's management is aware of the situation, and the issue is being resolved. The company operates in full compliance with the laws of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, so we have no reason for any concerns or to conceal information."

According to information obtained by RIA Novosti, the Prosecutor General's Office has asked the court to ban activities of what they describe as an "association" between Lesta owner Malik Khatajiev and Wargaming.net owner Viktor Kisly. They've also requested that 100% of Lesta's shares be transferred to state ownership. Court documents suggest that prosecutors believe Khatajiev and Kisly are involved in "extremist activities."

The case appears to stem from Lesta's previous relationship with Wargaming, the original developer of "World of Tanks." Until April 2022, Lesta operated as part of Wargaming, but the companies separated after Russia's military actions in Ukraine began. At that time, Wargaming announced its withdrawal from Russia and Belarus, transferring its regional business operations to Cyprus.

After the split, Wargaming launched fundraising initiatives for Ukraine, including special in-game content with Ukrainian themes, with proceeds going toward purchasing ambulances. Lesta publicly distanced itself from these actions, declaring they were "out of politics" and had no connection to Wargaming's activities.

However, the prosecution seems to disagree with that. They have included publications with titles such as "The most military game World of Tanks against Russia's special operation" and "Wargaming launched a charity project with Ukrainian content in games to raise money for ambulances" as evidence in their case against Lesta and its leadership.

Lesta Games has a significant market presence in Russia, with a reported 6.5 million monthly active users across all its products. The company also had strong financial performance, with reported revenue of 35 billion rubles and net profit of approximately 16 billion rubles in 2024.

The company has lodged an appeal against the court's decision concerning the interim measures that resulted in the freezing of its accounts and the ban on legal proceedings.

The current ownership structure of Lesta shows that 99% of LLC "Lesta" belongs to Malik Khatajiev, with the remaining 1% owned by LLC "Lesta Games Agency." In 2022, there were some ownership changes where Khatajiev temporarily transferred his share to Chinese entity Lesta Hong Kong Limited before reclaiming it in October 2024. The company explained this move by stating that they consider "the Russian market as a priority area of work."

Despite Lesta's assertions of innocence and compliance with Russian law, some observers have characterized the case as potentially politically motivated. One source described the situation as occurring within "a modern day mafia state" where such cases are unlikely to be dismissed.

The hearing for this case is reportedly scheduled for mid-May 2025, when more details are expected to emerge about the allegations and potential consequences for the gaming company.

As this situation unfolds, millions of players of "World of Tanks" and "World of Warships" in Russia and neighboring countries are watching closely to see how these legal proceedings might affect the games they enjoy.