Battlestate Games, the developer behind Escape from Tarkov, has been fined two million rubles in Russia for a violation of the Administrative Offenses Code. Per a court document, this was for failing to localize data of Russian users in the Russian Federation territory.
The fine is equal to around $25,000 (£18,000) and was handed down by the Tagansky Court of Moscow on March 3rd, 2026.
Battlestate Ordered to Pay Hefty Fine in Court
The Tagansky Court of Moscow has ordered Battlestate Games, the developer behind Escape from Tarkov, a two-million-ruble fine in response to a data protection lapse.
In a report published by The First Technical, a Russian outlet, a quote from the court’s documentation was provided:
On March 3, 2026, the Justice of the Peace of judicial district No. 422 of the Tagansky district of the city of Moscow found guilty of committing an administrative offense under Part 8 of Article 13.11 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation.
Per an explanation, Battlestate Games has not complied with regulations regarding the ‘systematization, storage, and clarification of personal data of Russians.’
It hasn’t been confirmed if this issue affects users elsewhere in the world, but given that it’s localized to Russia, it’s highly unlikely that it will.
Days ago, the same court in Moscow fined Telegram and Google for violating Russian legislation. Google was fined more than 22 million rubles ($287,000) for ‘refusing to remove a number of advertisements related to the remote sale of alcohol and LGBT content.’
Escape from Tarkov recently hit 1.0, which means it graduated into a ‘fully released game’ after years in beta. This year, the game is shaping up with a new map, boss, and a roadmap that’s set to deliver the game’s first major piece of DLC.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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