Performance indicators
2024: Revenue growth of 40% to ₽35 billion
The revenue of the Lesta Games group of companies in 2024 reached ₽35 billion, which was a record figure in the history of the company. The developer of the video games "World of Tanks," "World of Ships" and Tanks Blitz announced this on February 25, 2025.
According to RBC, the head of the group of companies Malik Khatazhaev said that revenue growth in relation to 2023 amounted to 40%. The company's net profit reached about ₽16 billion, which also exceeded the previous year.
A significant increase in financial indicators is due to several factors. Part of the increase in revenue was provided by high income on deposits, but the main contribution was made by the expansion of Lesta's active audience, which, according to the company's internal estimates, amounted to 6.5 million people a month.
The head of the company stressed that all the funds received are reinvested in business development. In 2024, Lesta Games acquired an office center in St. Petersburg, and earlier in Moscow. The company also invests in the purchase of equipment, hiring and training of personnel, which allows it to develop new products.
Director of the Gaming Industry Association Vladimir Prokuronov noted that the balance of power in the Russian gaming market has not changed significantly over the year. The leading positions are occupied by Lesta Games, Astrum Entertainment, 1C Game Studios and VK Play. According to him, Lesta alone has more than 60 million registered accounts.
Malik Khatazhaev, head of the Lesta Games group of companies, noted that all profits are reinvested, and he does not take dividends. According to him, the funds are used to buy buildings, purchase equipment, as well as to hire and train staff. This approach, Khatazhaev emphasized, allows the company to develop new production areas.
According to Forbes magazine, at the end of 2024, Lesta Games entered the top 10 most expensive Runet companies with a capitalization estimate of $1.5 billion. According to SPARK, the main legal entity of the group of companies, LLC Lesta, registered in St. Petersburg, is 99% owned by Malik Khatazhaev.[1]
History
2025
The arrival of a new team of top managers. Bogdan Docic Appointed chief information officer
Bogdan Docic has been appointed information technology director of the Lesta gaming studio, a well-known publication of the popular games Tank World and Ship World. The appointment took place as part of a large-scale personnel reshuffle in the company's management team aimed at strengthening technological expertise, business development and strengthening communications. Docic has been working for the company for many years and has established himself as a system and reliable manager. This was announced by the studio in August 2025.
The Company also announced a number of key HR decisions affecting various areas of the organization's activities. Georgy Lobushkin took the position of head of the PR-direction of the company. Lobushkin is one of the most famous public relations experts in Russia with experience in the country's largest technology companies.
Sergey Kubasov, who previously held key positions in VK and AliExpress Russia, became the deputy general director of Lesta. Kubasov has extensive management experience in technology companies and e-commerce.
Timofey Savin returns to the company, who will take the position of director for business development. Savin previously headed EdgeCenter during a difficult period for the industry, and before that he had already worked at Lest, which ensures the continuity of corporate culture.
Pavel Ivanov, who was previously involved in digital products in the TON ecosystem, has been appointed to the post of director of special projects. Ivanov brings expertise in the field of blockchain technologies and crypto projects to the team.
Boris Dobrodeev, CEO of Lesta, noted that the company is strengthening the team with experienced leaders who have already proven their professionalism in technology, business development and communications. According to him, these appointments are an important step for faster, more reliable and large-scale development while maintaining high quality products.[2]
Appointment of Boris Dobrodeev as CEO
On July 31, 2025, it became known that the nationalized game studio "Lesta" (publishes in Russia "World of Tanks" and "World of Ships") was headed by Boris Dobrodeev. Previously, he served as CEO of VK Holding. Read more here
Aichi Technologies became the management company of the nationalized game developer Lesta Games
On July 10, 2025, it became known that the management company of the game developer Lesta Games (Lesta Games), nationalized by a court decision, was Aichi Technologies JSC. At the same time, the operational activities of the creator of the "World of Tanks" and "World of Ships" do not change. Read more here.
Nationalization of three companies of the group: Lesta LLC, Lesta Games Egency LLC, Lesta Games Moscow LLC
Three companies included in the Lesta group of computer game developers were nationalized in Russia. We are talking about LLC "Lesta," LLC "Lesta Games Egency" and LLC "Lesta Games Moscow" completely passed into state ownership. The nationalisation procedure was completed in June 2025.
According to RIA Novosti, the only founder of all three companies was the Federal Agency for State Property Management. The Federal Property Management Agency received 100% control over Lesta LLC on June 11, 2025, and over two other organizations on June 18, 2025.
Changes in the ownership structure are reflected in registration documents and the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. All companies continue to operate under the control of the state and maintain their operational status.
The decision to nationalize was the result of a trial initiated by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office. The agency appealed to the Tagansky District Court of Moscow with a demand to prohibit the activities of the association and turn the shares of companies into state revenue.
The prosecutor's office qualified the activities of company owners as extremist. The indictments include the founder of Wargaming, Viktor Kisly, and the owner of the Russian Lesta, Malik Khatazhaev. The supervisory authority classified them as an extremist association.
According to the agency, the basis for the accusations was publications in the media and the actions of companies related to the support of Ukraine. The Prosecutor General's Office cited as evidence materials with headlines about countering the Russian special operation and launching charity projects to raise funds for reanimobiles for the Ukrainian army.[3]
Nationalization by court order
On June 3, 2025, the Tagansky District Court satisfied the claim of the Prosecutor General's Office against the Russian video game company Lesta Games, which publishes the World of Tanks and the World of Ships in Russia. The court decided to transfer the shares of all three legal entities of the game publisher to the state and prohibit the activities of the association of Wargaming founder Viktor Kisloy and Lesta owner Malik Khatazhaev.
According to RBC, the lawsuit was considered in a closed format. The court considered the administrative statement of claim of the Deputy Prosecutor General to Viktor Kisloy, Malik Khatazhaev, as well as to Lesta LLC and Lesta Games Egency LLC to ban the activities of the association in connection with extremist activities.
Following the meeting, the court transferred to the state the shares of Lesta LLC, Lesta Games Moscow LLC and Lesta Games Egency LLC. Khatazhaev's lawyer told reporters that the court's decision would be appealed. The court recognized Kisloy and Khatazhaev as extremists as individuals and banned their activities in Russia.
A source in the General Prosecutor's Office said that Kisly and Khatazhaev financed funds specializing in the purchase of equipment for the armed forces of Ukraine from their income. In order to deprive the possibility of obtaining income from Russia, the rights to the Lesta group of companies were canceled by a court decision.
The representative of the General Prosecutor's Office clarified that the judicial act does not apply to the Lesta group of companies, its counterparties and clients. The operation of companies and technical support of users are carried out normally. Users of computer games will not be affected by the decision.
Deputy Anton Gorelkin wrote in his Telegram channel that users of "World of Tanks," "World of Ships" and other products of "Lest Games" have nothing to worry about. He stressed that users cannot be accused of supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine or extremism for making in-game purchases.[4]
Russoft and APKIT sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking him not to nationalize Lest
On May 21, 2025, the four largest industry IT associations, uniting more than 700 companies with a total turnover of more than 3 trillion, rubles sent an open letter to the president Russia Vladimir Putin with a request to prevent the nationalization of Lesta Games. The authors of the appeal express "deep concern about the attempt to create an extremely dangerous precedent."
The letter was signed by the heads of the Association of Computer information technology and () Enterprises APKIT , the Association of Software Product Developers, the Domestic software Non-Profit Developer Partnership software Russoft and the Gaming Industry Association (AII).
The appeal says that the administrative process, based on the accusation of extremist activities of the Lesta Games Group of Companies, is obviously an instrument for the redistribution of economic assets and the forced seizure of property. At the same time, in the case of IT companies, the main asset is intellectual property, closely related to the competencies of specific specialists. Thus, the authors of the letter believe, nationalization threatens the collapse of the company, as "the connection between the key competencies of the developers and the intellectual property created by them is broken." In addition, if the Lesta Games Group of Companies is recognized as an extremist community, the shadow will be cast on all employees, which, according to estimates, may lead to the dismissal of more than half of the IT staff even before the court decision comes into force.
 | The forced transfer of ownership of a private IT company will undermine confidence in the institution of private property and the stability of legal regulation in the economy of Russian jurisdiction, will entail the outflow of entrepreneurs and capital abroad, and will also negatively affect the investment climate in the Russian Federation, the open letter says.[5] |  |
" Lived in old age. And suddenly, being a patriot, he became an extremist. " The head of the developer is about a criminal case
On April 30, 2025, the founder, owner and head of Lesta Games (Lesta Games) Malik Khatazhaev commented on the judicial blocking of the company's accounts at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office and the requirement to seize 100% of the video game developer in state revenue. According to him, the imposed restrictions "have a destructive effect" on all operating activities. Read more here
The Prosecutor General's Office asked the court to seize 100% of Lesta Games in state revenue
At the end of April 2025, it became known that the Prosecutor General's Office appealed to the Tagansky District Court of Moscow with a request to seize 100% of the developer of video games Lesta Games in state revenue. In addition, the appeal contains a requirement to ban the activities of the association, consisting of the owner of the Lesta company Malik Khatazhaev and the owner of the Wargaming.net Viktor Kisloy.
According to RIA Novosti, referring to court materials, according to the Prosecutor General's Office, Kisly and Khatazhaev are part of an association carrying out extremist activities. The statement of claim, in particular, mentions publications with the headlines "The most military game of World of Tanks against the special operation of Russia," "How Wargaming survived 25 years - and coped with the war in Ukraine" and "Wargaming launched a charity project with Ukrainian content in games to collect on reanimobili."
| | The statement of claim of the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia on the prohibition of the activities of the association consisting of V.V. Kisloy and M.A. Khatazhaev and on the conversion to state revenue of shares in the authorized capital of the defendants, - said in the documents referred to by RIA Novosti. | |
The Prosecutor General's Office demands that the state transfer 100% of the shares in the authorized capital of the defendants in three organizations - Lesta LLC, Lesta Games Egency LLC and Lesta Games Moscow LLC. At the same time, Lesta itself sent a complaint against the determination of the Tagansky District Court of Moscow: the company is challenging interim measures at the suit of the prosecutor's office, which led to the blocking of accounts and the prohibition of legal actions.
| | We sacredly honor the memory and covenants of our ancestors. We respect the spirit and letter of the law. Our company will never allow itself to do anything that goes against our values. We believe in our players. We believe in justice, - said in the message "Lesta Games" in the social network "VKontakte."[6] | |
Asset seizure
The Tagansky District Court of Moscow seized three main legal entities of the Russian developer of the games "Lesta Games," managing the projects "World of Tanks" and "World of Ships." The assets were seized on April 17, 2025 at the suit of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation.
According to RBC, Lesta LLC (the main legal entity of the company), Lesta Games Moscow LLC (Moscow office) and Lesta Games Egency LLC (a company directly involved in publishing games) were arrested. Details of the case were not disclosed in open sources, and representatives of Lesta declined to comment to the media.
After the publication of the arrest message in the telegram channel "Lesta Games," a statement appeared in which the company's management claims that the situation is being informed and the problem is being solved. The report also notes that the company operates in full accordance with the laws of Russia and the Republic of Belarus, so the management has no reason to fear or hide information.
The working processes in the company "Lesta Games" continue in the standard mode. The company announced its full assistance to law enforcement agencies to resolve all issues that have arisen as soon as possible and to use the necessary legal mechanisms.
Studio "Lesta Games," based in St. Petersburg, manages the projects "World of Tanks," "World of Ships" and Tanks Blitz in Russia. Until April 2022, she worked as part of the international developer and publisher of video games Wargaming, founded in 1998 by Belarusian entrepreneur Viktor Kislov. Against the background of the start of a military operation in Ukraine, Wargaming announced its departure from Russia and Belarus, transferring the business to Lesta. The games, originally bearing the English names World of Tanks and World of Warships, were translated into Russian.[7]
Purchase of the Renaissance Pravda business center in the center of St. Petersburg
The Lesta Games Group of Companies, the largest developer of computer games in Russia, has completed the acquisition of the Renaissance Pravda business center with an area of 28.1 thousand square meters in the Central District of St. Petersburg. This became known on January 20, 2025. Read more here.
2024
Change of owner - 99% of the company passed to its founder Malik Khatazhaev
Lesta Games, one of the leading video game developers in Russia, in October 2024 announced the change of the main beneficiary. According to data from open sources, 99% of the company again passed to its founder Malik Khatazhaev.
According to Kommersant, until September 30, 2024, the main founder of Lesta Games (Lesta LLC) was the Chinese company Lesta Hong Kong Limited. Changes in the ownership structure are recorded in the SPARK-Interfax database.
Representatives of Lesta Games explained that changes in the corporate structure are associated with the implementation of the company's long-term plans and its priorities in the Russian market. The company considers Russia as a key area of its activities.
Alexander Zhuravlev, managing partner of the EBR law firm, notes that the change in the jurisdiction of IT companies has become a trend in recent years. This is facilitated by various factors, including the amnesty of capital, sanctions against Russian persons and difficulties with international settlements. Among the companies that have already completed the change of jurisdiction, the expert calls the holding VK and Global Ports.
According to Zhuravlev, many companies, when deciding to change their jurisdiction, are guided by preferential measures to support IT-Business in Russia. Some are guided by the factor of manageability and corporate relations, and some entrepreneurs are changing their structure due to the reorientation of business to the Russian market.
A video game market source suggests that the decision to change ownership of Lesta Games could be due to the need to completely distance itself from Wargaming, with which Lesta was previously associated. The move could help avoid speculation about ongoing interactions between companies through the Hong Kong structure.[8]
Buying an office building in Moscow
The studio for the production of games Lesta Games (creator of "World of Tanks," "World of Ships") has acquired an office building in Moscow with an area of 6 thousand square meters. m. This was announced on March 21, 2024 by Kommersant.
Experts estimate the asset at 1.9-4 billion rubles. The company said buying the building would reduce rental risks and savings. According to market participants, the office will help the company "gain a foothold for strategic development." As of March 2024, Lesta Games rents part of the building in the Factoria business center in Moscow with a useful area of just over 2 thousand square meters. m. In addition, the company has branches in St. Petersburg and Minsk.
According to Gauhar Aldiyarova, head of the Moscow division of Lesta Games, the building is owned by gaming companies - "quite a rare story." At the same time, the company believes that in the long term this purchase will justify itself.
| | [Собственность] much more reliable - you no longer have to worry that the landlord will suddenly change the terms of the contract for the worse, added Aldiyarova.] | |
At the same time, the company's expenses, according to the forecast of the head of the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry Vasily Ovchinnikov, should be reduced. There is a possibility of beating off the cost of maintaining the building by renting space to other studios.
The office acquired by the game studio previously belonged to Otkritie Bank. In 2021, according to Rosreestr, he moved to LLC First. Rosreestr also indicates January 22, 2024 as the closing date of the deal with Lesta Games.
LLC First (affiliated with family members of Alexander Rakshin, founder of Maria-Ra) actively invests in real estate. In 2023, the company became the owner of the former Otkritie Bank mansion in Moscow in Zhivarevoy Lane and a business center on Arbat.[9]
2022: Investing $150 million in new projects
By the end of 2023, the Russian gaming studio Lesta Games is going to invest about $100-150 million of its own funds in the development of its business. The company reported this in mid-November 2022.
The product director of the World of Ships, Alexander Ilyichev, told Kommersant that the funds will be used to develop and support current projects, develop new ones, update infrastructure and hire new employees (400-450 people).
Lesta Games was the Russian division of Wargaming and was engaged only in the development and support of the online action movie World of Warships. But from July 1, 2022, the company ceased to be the owner of the Belarusian SOOO Game Stream and the Russian LLC Lesta. The owner of the share in 91.84% of the Belarusian legal entity and 100% of the Russian company was a citizen of Russia Malik Atkhamovich Khatazhaev (data for November 2022).
Alexander Ilyichev said that after Wargaming decided to leave the Russian market, Lesta Games was faced with the task of turning a single product division into a large studio. He also acknowledged that this would require a serious increase in staff. By mid-November 2022, the company's need for marketers, managers and other specialists is 450-500 people.
One of the sources of the publication indicates that earlier Wargaming's revenue from World of Tanks reached $800 million, 50% of which were in Russia and Belarus. He admits that the developer can revoke licenses for Russified games from Lesta, so the company needs to. The interlocutor of the newspaper in one of the Russian game studios believes that Lesta may have serious problems with expertise.
| | Otherwise, Lesta will have to train specialists and technologies from scratch. It is long, difficult and expensive, given that the company specialized in the ship direction, - explained the informant.[10] | |
Notes
- ↑ Petersburg video game developer received record revenue
- ↑ Georgy Lobushkin appointed head of PR-direction of Lesta
- ↑ The development companies of the "World of Tanks" became the property of the state
- ↑ The court satisfied the claim of the Prosecutor General's Office against the publisher of "World of Tanks"
- ↑ Open letter on the deep concern of the IT industry about the process of the Lesta Games Group of Companies (nationalization of the IT company)
- ↑ GP asked to ban the activities of the owner of the developer of "World of Tanks"
- ↑ The court arrested the assets of the Russian publisher of the game "World of Tanks"
- ↑ Ships came to their native harbor
- ↑ Lesta Games drops anchor
- ↑ Russified are coming
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