The Russian-developed Escape from Tarkov has long been criticized because the developers are allegedly anti-Ukraine and support Russia’s war against the country in various ways. However, there has been little to prove this, and developer Battlestate Games has avoided taking a stand and is said to be deleting threads about the war on its forum and Reddit.
Over the weekend, however, the discussion flared up again after users on Reddit and Resetera (thanks PC Gamer) posted a series of coincidences that may indicate that Battlestate Games supports the Russian war in various ways. Among the evidence of collusion are photos, videos and forum posts confirming that CEO Nikita Buyanov has had ties to the Russian group 715 Team – a pro-Russian organization that raises money for the Russian war chest – and that he has been in the occupied Donetsk region.
There are also examples of items, slogans and the like in the game Escape from Tarkov that can be linked to 715 Team. Individually, these are rather weak indications, but together they paint a picture that is not entirely flattering. Are Battlestate Games supporting Russian warfare, and the money spent on the game is thus indirectly funding the war against Ukraine?
This should be easy for Battlestate Games to address if it isn’t, and many disappointed users believe it’s time for the studio to put its cards on the table and address this issue.
