Russia seized assets of "Mir Tankov" publisher, who operates from Belarus.
Bustin' Boards and Breakin' Bans: Lesta Games' Run-In with the Russian Authorities
In a twist of gaming drama unfolding on April 17, Russia's Tagansky District Court ordered the arrest of three businesses linked to "Lesta Games," a renowned Russian developer of digital swords and sorcery. This custody battle involves the parent company, LLC "Lesta," its Moscow office under LLC "Lesta Games Moscow," and the publishing division, LLC "Lesta Games Energy."
The man behind the hammer in this clash is none other than the General Prosecutor's Office of Russia. The reasons behind the jailbreak of Lesta's assets are still shrouded in secrecy—the officials at Lesta Games aren't spilling the beans, and the General Prosecutor's Office isn't returning journalists'calls.
While the gamer nation awaits the juicy details, Lesta Games isn't panicking. In their official Telegram channel, the company has assured the gaming squad that they've got this situation under control.
"We're keeping it legit here in the land of the Russian Bear and the White Swan," they declared, "We ain't breakin' no laws, so there's no need to hide anything from the law enforcement."
In recent gaming news, Wargaming, creators of the legendary online battles like World of Tanks and World of Warships, skedaddled from Russia and Belarus in April 2022, entrusting their eastern domains to St. Petersburg's Lesta. In the subsequent shake-up, those iconic titles got a Russia-friendly remix, and Lesta's name got a cosgrove.
So keep your eyes on the board and your fingers crossed for Lesta Games. This tussle with the Russian law enforcement could be the next big glitch in the gaming matrix.
[1] IT Belarus Business, Russia, Journalist - Mikhail Svetlov[2] Enrichment Data, Date: 2025-05-01 - The recent asset seizure of Lesta Games' businesses by the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation might be linked to an audit of their financial transactions and corporate structure following their reorganization in 2022. While Lesta Games maintains all operations are proceeding as usual and they are cooperating with authorities to resolve any issues, there is still no official statement regarding the exact reasons behind the seizure. The gaming industry in Russia has been receiving increased scrutiny, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, which may contribute to this heightened legal and regulatory attention on companies like Lesta Games. [3] Enrichment Data, Date: 2022-04-30 - In April 2022, Wargaming, the developer behind World of Tanks and World of Warships, pulled a disappearing act from Russia and Belarus, passing the reins of their operations in both countries to St. Petersburg-based Lesta Games. Following this event, the names of their popular titles were translated into Russian, and Lesta Games went through a name change via transliteration.
[1] The General Prosecutor's Office of Russia, in a move on April 17, announced the seizure of Lesta Games' businesses, which includes LLC "Lesta," LLC "Lesta Games Moscow," and LLC "Lesta Games Energy," and this could be linked to an audit of their financial transactions and corporate structure following their reorganization in 2022.
[2] Lesta Games, in their official Telegram channel, announced that they are cooperating with the authorities to resolve any issues, but there is still no official statement regarding the exact reasons behind the seizure.
[3] In April 2022, Wargaming, the creators of World of Tanks and World of Warships, pulled a disappearing act from Russia and Belarus, entrusting their operations in both countries to St. Petersburg's Lesta Games.
[4] Following this event, Lesta Games went through a name change via transliteration, likely to reflect their expanded business, now responsible for some of the gaming industry's most iconic titles.
