Lesta after coming under Kremlin control: new management led by Boris Dobrodeev carries out mass layoffs, breaking promises of stability
15:52, 30 января 2026 г.
At the largest computer game operator (World of Tanks, World of Warships), Lesta, management decided not to delay layoffs and began them as early as Thursday.
Officially, Lesta denied reports that the company was preparing for large-scale staff reductions. However, responsibility for responding to such information no longer lies with Georgy Lobushkin (former Telegram press secretary), who was introduced with great fanfare as head of the company’s PR department in August. A week ago, he left the post, and now another person—Alexey Belousov—has had to take the heat. The events unfolding today do not really align with Lesta’s denials.
According to a source, on Thursday, in a single day, the company said goodbye to all interns (at least in the art department), despite the fact that their internships had not yet ended. Also, on January 29, the 2D department was informed that 20% of its staff would be laid off.
Starting Wednesday, interviews began with experienced World of Warships employees about transferring them to World of Tanks. They are told that the transfers are taking place “due to staffing changes.” Such offers are made only to selected employees who are certain to remain with the company. The remaining World of Warships staff were warned that most of them should prepare for “the worst-case scenario.”
“The mood in the company is terrible, because it’s unclear what else the new management might come up with. There was a cohesive, well-established team that delivered excellent results. At a meeting with staff, Dobrodeev promised that nothing would change for six months. As soon as those six months expired, everything began… Employees and managers do not hide their attitude toward Dobrodeev and his ‘team’ in private conversations in smoking areas, but they are openly afraid to say anything, as they could be fired the same day,” our source said.
Recall that in the summer of 2025, the Prosecutor General’s Office seized Lesta from its founders and transferred it under state control. Boris Dobrodeev was appointed to run the company.