01 Mar 2022 1:40 PM +00:00 UTC

Wargaming Sacks World of Tanks' Creative Director Over Ukraine Comments

World of Tanks studio Wargaming has confirmed its sacked creative director Sergey Burkatovskiy over his public support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Announcing his views in a now-deleted Facebook, Wargaming has hundreds of staff based in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, which is currently under siege.

Confirming this news to Russian site Cyber.Sports.ru (spotted by PC Gamer), Wargaming stated:

Sergey is really an employee of the company and expressed his personal opinion, which categorically does not coincide with the position of the company. All our forces are now focused on helping our 550+ Kyiv colleagues and their families.

Wargaming Sacks World of Tanks' Creative Director Over Ukraine Comments

As for the specific comments, Burkatovskiy stated he supports "the operation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the DPR [Donetsk People's Republic] and the LPR [Luhansk People's Republic]," referencing the separatist movements in the Donbas region. Unsurprisingly, Wargaming, a Belarusian company, were quick to disavow his statements.

Following Russia's recent invasion, several game developers issued statements of support, including 11 bit Studios, CD Projekt Red, Gameloft, GSC Game World, and Crytivo. For those looking to assist humanitarian efforts, you can directly donate to The Red Cross too and other charity organizations.