Nintendo Explores Partnership With Russian Executive Despite Controversy

Nintendo ADR NTDOY is reportedly considering partnering with a controversial figure to fulfill its commitments to customers in Russia.

Even though the company concluded its operations in the country because of the war in Ukraine, it still has obligations to the customers who purchased its products before it left.

What Happened: According to IGN, the figure in question is Yasha Haddazhi, who is not only the head of Nintendo Russia but also owns Achivka, a company that Nintendo is considering as a potential partner.

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Haddazhi received criticism in the past for his behavior towards employees. In 2018, he faced calls for his removal as the head of Nintendo Russia after footage emerged of him verbally abusing hosts of a Russian Mario Kart stream. There were also reports of him making inappropriate remarks to female employees.

Despite Haddazhi's controversial past, Nintendo is contemplating working with his company to provide repair and warranty services for their existing products in the country.

Meanwhile, the Japanese company has reaffirmed its cessation of operations in Russia except for "legal, contractual, and administrative requirements," and stated that it is not affiliated with companies offering import services, such as Achivka, which has reportedly been working to circumvent a sales ban in the country.

Why It Matters: In a statement to Eurogamer, Nintendo said: "We continue to investigate solutions to honor preceding commitments to our customers in the Russian market. In this vein and in a spirit of transparency, we are in advanced discussions with potential suppliers of repair and warranty service for Nintendo products that had already been sold in the Russian market, with LLC Achivka being one such potential supplier."

The company added: "We are aware that several companies in Russia operate parallel imports of goods, including Nintendo products. Nintendo is not affiliated with such companies and has no involvement in parallel import activities in Russia."

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