Nintendo Ends Association with Russian CEO Amidst Controversy

Nintendo has officially severed ties with Yasha Haddaji, the former general manager of its Russian operations, following a series of controversies during his tenure. According to a Nintendo of Europe spokesperson, Haddaji's contract came to an end on May 31. His time at Nintendo Russia was marked by several contentious incidents, including a formal warning in 2019 for an outburst during a livestream where he used profanity towards colleagues. More recently, it was discovered that Haddaji had established a side company, Achivka, which was registered at the same address as Nintendo Russia's headquarters and had been importing Nintendo games into Russia, bypassing the company's own sales embargo imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Although Nintendo initially stated it was not affiliated with such import companies, it has now confirmed a temporary partnership with Achivka to serve as the official supplier for repair and warranty services for Nintendo products already sold in the Russian market. This move aims to fulfill prior commitments to customers and ensure service continuity as Nintendo winds down its operations in Russia, a process that includes the closure of the Russian eShop.