In August 2023, it became known that the publishing house Wargaming.net decided to scatter employees from Belarus to offices located in other countries. The reason was the political crisis and protests that began after the presidential elections, which he won again Alexander Lukashenko…
Over the past time, the situation has not stood still. According to the Ukrainian media, the Kiev office Wargaming.net transferred about 200-300 employees who had previously worked in the Minsk branch. Up to 500 more people are planned to be transferred to the office in Vilnius, which will start working in 2023.
In addition, the US and EU authorities imposed sanctions against Belarus, refusing to recognize the results of the presidential elections. The restrictions affected about 40 people from the top leadership of the Republic.
And the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell did not rule out that in the near future, targeted economic sanctions may be introduced against Minsk, which will affect the activities of local enterprises. In this regard, foreign companies that are represented on the Belarusian market began to get nervous.
Microsoft vs Daddy?
According to the publication Digital Report with reference to representatives of a number of trading companies, the American IT giant is reducing its presence in the republic.
In particular, Microsoft allegedly refused to certify the next-generation consoles Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S at the state level. This means that the company has no plans to sell or provide warranty support for the devices in Belarus. Local gamers will have to order consoles in neighboring countries (Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and so on).
According to the newspaper’s insiders, Microsoft refers to the sanctions imposed against Alexander Lukashenko’s entourage. But it is not yet clear exactly how they interfere with the company’s work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIMAujZpry0
The first batch of new generation consoles to the territory of Belarus was brought by the company “Patio“working under the brand”5th element“. Presumably, she independently carried out the certification, which will not apply to the rest of the shipments.
Initially, Microsoft allegedly wanted to officially launch a regional service in the Republic. Xbox live (with payment in Belarusian rubles) and start selling consoles in 2023. The plans are now called into question.
The final decision on the future of the brand Xbox in Belarus will be accepted next summer, writes Digital Report. It is possible that the consoles will still be certified for sale on the Belarusian market, but on a leftover basis.
Panic from scratch?
The portal offered a different interpretation of events Tech.Onliner… As officials of the “5th Element” told reporters, no information has been received about the termination of the supply of consoles from Microsoft. Now the trading network is clarifying the information.
In the shop “Belconsol“noted that there are no Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X on sale. Its representatives explained that Russian suppliers simply do not have available goods for their Belarusian partners.
It is possible that Microsoft simply decided to postpone the launch of official sales due to the tense situation in the country, the pandemic and the worldwide shortage of consoles. Something similar is observed in the country with the sales of new models. iPhonewhich start much later than in the rest of the world.
“As for the closure of a digital store, we are talking about a completely standard procedure: if a Belarusian store appears, you will not be able to switch to other regions where the price of games is sometimes lower (for example, in Argentina),” the newspaper notes.
Microsoft and the Belarusian opposition
If you dig a little deeper, it turns out that Microsoft has some cause for concern. The fact is that the wife of the ex-presidential candidate of Belarus Valeria Tsepkalo associated with an American company. This is about Veronica Tsepkalo…
According to Belarusian media reports, for the last 10 years, the woman held the post of head of business development in the interregional office of Microsoft. When Valery Tsepkalo was refused to register as an official candidate, he left the country with his children.
According to the politician, sources in the KGB and the Interior Ministry warned him about the impending arrest. In addition, representatives of the prosecutor’s office raided the school where the children studied, demanding that the teachers sign some documents related to one of the children.
During the absence of her husband, Veronica Tsepkalo represented him at the headquarters of alternative opposition candidates, who supported him in the elections Svetlana Tikhanovskaya… However, in August, the woman decided to leave Belarus, fearing criminal prosecution.
Former diplomat Valery Tsepkalo is also not the last person in the field of Belarusian high technologies. It was he who lobbied for the creation in Belarus “High technology park“, which means a special tax and legal regime for the development of IT business.
Read also: Lukashenka will be left without tanks? The head of Wargaming.net can evacuate employees from Belarus
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