World Of Tanks developer Wargaming has announced that it is leaving both Russia and Belarus, and that will be doing so with “all due speed.”
The Belarusian studio made the announcement on its website today (April 4), where it said that effective March 31 it had “transferred its live games business in Russia and Belarus to local management of Lesta Studio, [which] is no longer affiliated with Wargaming.
“The company will not profit from this process either today or going forward. Much to the contrary we expect to suffer substantial losses as a direct result of this decision,” added the World Of Tanks developer.
This decision comes amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine that started on February 24. Since then millions of Ukrainians have fled their home country and are currently seeking asylum in the west.
Wargaming said it will also be closing its founding studio in Minsk, Belarus, and that during the transition period all “live products will remain available in Russia and Belarus and will be operated by the new owner.”
The World Of Tanks developer adds that it will remove its business from Russia and Belarus in compliance with all laws and will support its employees throughout the process. “We will be providing as much severance and support as possible to our employees affected by the change,” it said.
“Despite the magnitude of this decision, we as a company are confident in the future of our business and are committed to delivering quality games to our players,” concluded Wargaming.
As of publication, Wargaming has over 19 offices and development studios across the globe, with three based in Russia and Belarus.
At the beginning of March, it was also announced that the company’s creative director Sergey Burkatovskiy had been fired following statements of support for the Russian armed forces.
In other news, Twitch streamer Félix “xQc” Lengyel says he has received more death threats than ever before for engaging with Reddit’s ‘Place’ canvas trend.
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