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Back in April, Wargaming, the studio behind World of Tanks, announced it was pulling out of Russia and Belarus. The decision to exit the two countries was a direct result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Now Wargaming is announcing its next step in the restructuring effort. The originally Belarussian company is opening two new studios in Belgrade, Serbia, and Warsaw, Poland. The two new studios will work to reinforce the company’s global operations.
The two new locations will become Wargaming’s sixth and seventh European offices, joining Nicosia, Vilnius, Prague, Guildford, and Berlin. The Belgrade and Warsaw offices will host up to a combined 400 employees.
“Warsaw and Belgrade were logical choices for these new locations; both are fast developing technology sectors with enormous potential. We look forward to working closely with both cities’ IT communities to build best-in-class game development and publishing units,” said Wargaming boss Victor Kislyi in a statement to GamesBeat. “Wargaming continues to move forward with big plans for the future. The Belgrade and Warsaw locations will be essential for accomplishing our goals.”
New purpose
The Belgrade office will house local and international talent across both development and publishing disciplines. In the future the office will also become a relocation hub for Wargaming staff moving from different locations. The main gaming focus of the Belgrade office will be World of Tanks and World of Warships. It will work on key services, ongoing support and potential development of new products.
Wargaming Warsaw will initially host a small publishing team, and most of the other employees will work in a virtual capacity. Further development plans and focuses haven’t been decided yet. How Wargaming Warsaw turns out depends entirely on the rest of Wargaming’s restructuring efforts.
The studio is supporting the growth of local talent by offering an internship program, named Wargaming Forge, alongside the opening of the Belgrade office. The program is going to target students, graduates and local professionals. It aims to allow them to master their skills under the guidance of experienced Wargaming leaders and mentors.
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