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Investors Close to Kremlin Eye Takeover of ‘Mir Tankov,’ Russian Version of World of Tanks

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Amira Barkhush
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Investors Close to Kremlin Eye Takeover of ‘Mir Tankov,’ Russian Version of World of Tanks
Promotional image from Mir Tankov by Lesta Games. (Source: Lesta Games)

Investors with ties to the Kremlin are reportedly seeking to acquire Lesta Studio, the developer of Mir Tankov — a Russian fork of World of Tanks created after the original publisher, Wargaming, exited the Russian market.

The studio was nationalized on June 3, and according to The Moscow Times, citing Verstka, several Russian businessmen are now coordinating efforts to take control of the company.

Sources say this group includes Boris Dobrodeev, former CEO of VKontakte and USM Telecom; Vladimir Nikolsky, former COO of VK and co-founder of My Games; Ilya Karpinsky, managing partner of the US-based Game Fund; and Alexander Bykhovsky of Gem Capital.

The consortium is reportedly using an intermediary company to gain temporary control of Lesta, with plans to later acquire it from the state.

Lesta’s founder, Malik Khatazhayev, was recently labeled an extremist and accused of financing the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Verstka reports that this accusation may be part of a broader campaign to pressure Khatazhayev into relinquishing the business.

In 2024, Lesta reportedly earned 35 billion rubles ($443 million) in revenue and 16 billion rubles ($202.5 million) in profit. Its assets are valued at 135 billion rubles ($1.7 billion).

Before the war, Lesta was a subsidiary of Wargaming, known primarily for its work on World of Warships. After Wargaming’s 2022 exit from Russia and Belarus, Lesta assumed control of the Russian versions of Wargaming titles, including “Mir Tankov.” Despite efforts to rebrand and align with state narratives, the company has remained under official scrutiny.

Gem Capital, owned by former Gazprom executive Anatoly Paliy, reportedly offered $500 million for 51% of Lesta in a rejected pre-nationalization bid. Since then, the studio has faced tax investigations and mounting political pressure.

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