UPDATE 14/4/22 5.30pm UK: In response to further questions from Eurogamer, Nintendo has confirmed that its controversial Russian boss Yasha Haddazhi is still employed at the company.
This is despite the fact Haddazhi is also now running Achivka, which was recently involved in the import and sale of Metroid Prime Remastered copies to the country. As a reminder, Nintendo stated in March 2022 that it had ended product shipments to the region.
“Mr Haddaji remains in a temporary administrative capacity to fulfil various internal administrative functions while winding down the company,” a Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer.
On Nintendo’s previous statement it was not affiliated with companies involved in the importation of Nintendo products with Russia – despite also considering Achivka for future involvement in a repair and warranty service – Nintendo provided the following statement:
“Nintendo is not affiliated with Achivka and has no involvement in parallel import activities in Russia. Currently, Achivka is only a potential supplier of repair and warranty service for Nintendo products that had already been sold in the Russian market. For any enquiries related to the operations of LLC Achivka, please contact them directly.”
The suggestion here seems to be that Nintendo had no involvement in Achivka’s import and sale of Metroid Prime Remastered – that Haddazhi had acted on his own, despite being a Nintendo employee.
UPDATE 13/4/22 5.30pm UK: Nintendo has issued Eurogamer a detailed statement which serves as an update on the company’s operations in Russia.
In short, Nintendo states it has largely wound down its Russian operation save for necessary “legal, contractual and administrative requirements”. Moscow-based employees had their “contracts ended by mutual agreement”, though the status of its local boss Yasha Haddazhi is not made specifically clear.