According to a report from the Russian national media, the developer responsible for supporting the world tanks and Belarus in Restagame, Russia and Belarus, is expected to seize the assets by the Russian government. This appears to be linked to an in-game campaign run by Wargaming. This is the original developer of the game that supports World of Tanks and its spinoff titles around the world.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Wargaming has announced that it will withdraw from the country (nearby Belarus) and transfer support for the world, world and other multiplayer games to Restagame. Despite Wargaming and Restagames being separate entities, it appears that the former’s support for Ukraine, and perhaps the in-game event it hosted in 2023, is attracting the attention of the Russian government.
The event spans all Wargaming titles, with players raising over $1 million. The developer then sent it to United24 funding service in Ukraine to buy a new ambulance for the country’s emergency services.
According to state media, the Russian government has moved to seize all stakes of Restagame owner Malik Katazaev and Wargaming CEO Victor Kissuri. Court documents filed by the Russian prosecutor’s office claim that Katazaev and Kisli are part of the association that carries out extremist activities.
In a statement posted to Telegram, Lesta Games said: “The company fully complies with the laws of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, so there is no reason to have concerns or concealment information. It has violated nothing and there is nothing to fear.”
Russia-based Resta is a clear target, but does this also affect wargaming, given that it is also named in these documents? In a statement sent to the Daily Star, the representative said: “Wargaming made a strategic withdrawal from the Russian and Belarus markets three years ago. The company disposed its operations in Russia and Belarus on a zero-cash-free basis at zero costs, meaning that the actions taken by the Russian government against Resta are unlikely to have a direct impact on wargaming efforts elsewhere in the world.
