Former VK Chief Takes Over Russian Gaming Studio Behind World of Tanks

The former head of Russian tech big VK has assumed management of gaming studio Lesta, finest identified for working titles corresponding to World of Tanks and World of Warships, he told the RBC information web site.

Boris Dobrodeev, 34, is the son of Oleg Dobrodeev, head of the state-owned media conglomerate VGTRK.

He now heads IT Technologies, the agency that formally took over Lesta in mid-July following a switch of administration rights from the federal state property company Rosimushchestvo.

The firm, registered on July 1, oversees Lesta’s main operations, together with its growth arm Lesta, its Moscow-based department Lesta Games Moscow and publishing division Lesta Games Agency.

Industry insiders had lengthy recognized Dobrodeev because the main candidate to take management of the studio, which turned a key participant within the home gaming sector after taking on the Russian operations of Belarus-founded Wargaming in 2022.

In an interview with RBC revealed Wednesday, Dobrodeev mentioned the corporate’s near-term priorities embody staff enlargement, group engagement and a roadmap of updates tied to World of Tanks’ upcoming fifteenth anniversary in August.

He introduced a brand new replace titled “U-Turn,” which he mentioned would mark the start of a broader shift geared toward bettering gameplay and responsiveness to participant suggestions.

“I’ve been taking part in for a few years, and the product plans that I see from the staff align with the core calls for of our viewers,” he mentioned.

Lesta was previously a subsidiary of Wargaming, the worldwide studio based by Belarusian entrepreneur Viktor Kisly.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Wargaming exited the Russian and Belarusian markets, transferring its native belongings to Lesta Games.

Wargaming has since dedicated a portion of its in-game gross sales to humanitarian help for Ukraine. In response, Lesta publicly distanced itself from the corporate, asserting that its tasks had been apolitical and uninvolved in such initiatives.

In June, Moscow’s Tagansky District Court escalated state intervention within the gaming sector by labeling Kisly and Lesta’s then-owner Malik Khatazhaev as members of an extremist group, citing Wargaming’s help for Ukraine.

The court docket ordered the confiscation of 100% of Lesta Games’ shares into state possession, paving the way in which for Dobrodeev’s appointment.

Dobrodeev rose to prominence in Russia’s tech trade in 2014 when he turned CEO of VKontakte following the departure of its founder Pavel Durov.

He later led Mail.ru Group, now often known as VK, till stepping down in 2021 after Gazprom-Media turned a significant shareholder.

Dobrodeev subsequently led USM Telecom, a part of billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s enterprise empire, earlier than leaving in 2022 to pursue impartial ventures.

With his new publish at Lesta, Dobrodeev re-enters the general public tech sphere at a time when the Kremlin is deepening its management over digital media and on-line leisure, together with the fast-growing online game sector.