Game Studios Show Support For Ukraine

After weeks of tensions building between the countries, Russia invaded Ukraine and attacked it openly on February 24, after which hundreds of Ukrainians were reportedly murdered by Russian militia and bombings. This terrifying, historic and frightening event is being watched by the entire world. Efforts have started to assist civilians as well as organizations and those affected, such the Ukrainian Red Cross. These efforts include charity drives and public support of Ukraine by studios in the videogame industry. 

Game Informer will be updating this story. 

Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco (publisher behind Elden Ring this year) announced on March 11 it will donate approximately $848,000 for Save the Children to support Ukraine.

Bandai Namco Group will donate 100 million yen for Save the Children. This donation is in aid of the humanitarian work of Save the Children. We wish that people and communities affected in this crisis can return to peace as quickly as possible. 

Niantic

Niantic, the studio behind games like Pokemon Go, revealed on March 10 that its games are no longer available for download in Russia and Belarus as a response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Niantic titles have been temporarily suspended from downloading in Russia and Belarus. 

“We support the global community’s hope for peace in Ukraine and an immediate resolution of the suffering and violence in the country. The games of Niantic are not available to download in Russia or Belarus and the gameplay will be stopped there very soon.” 

Nintendo

In the midst of Ukraine’s ongoing invasion, Nintendo has been forced to stop sales to Russia and shipment of products to Russia. 

Joining the likes of Microsoft and PlayStation and dozens of other game studios, Nintendo has suspended all shipments to Russia for the “foreseeable future” as of March 10. However, Nintendo did not claim that this decision was made in support for Ukraine, like many publishers and studios. IGN. The publication reached out to Nintendo to ask if it’d be providing a message of support for Ukraine, and a Nintendo spokesperson said, “We would like to express our concern for all those affected by the conflict.” 

“We have decided to suspend shipping all Nintendo products to Russia for the foreseeable future,” Nintendo told IGN. “This is due to considerable volatility surrounding the logistics of shipping and distributing physical goods.” 

The news is coming days after Nintendo put the Russian eShop in maintenance mode. This prevents users to buy digital games and effectively suspends all downloads. It is as follows: IGN points out, this wasn’t necessarily done in support of Ukraine either, at least not directly and publicly. Nintendo announced that it no longer process Russian Rubles through its payment service, causing the eShop temporarily to be closed. 

On top of all of this, Nintendo delayed Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp yesterday due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The game’s new release date was not announced by Nintendo. 

PlayStation

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that, in the midst of its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, it will suspend all Russian sales and exports of digital and hardware goods. 

Joining the likes of Microsoft and Nintendo and dozens of other studios and publishers who have done the same, PlayStation is showing its support for Ukraine by effectively cutting Russia off from its services and titles. In a statement, SIE called on Ukraine to peace. The VergeAlso, this is great news. 

“Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) joins the global community in calling for peace in Ukraine,” a spokesperson said. “We have suspended all software and hardware shipments, the launch of Gran Turismo 7, and operations of the PlayStation Store in Russia.”

This spokesperson also said that Sony announced a $2 million donation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the NGO Save the Children to support those affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Necrosoft Games, Itch.io, and More Than 700 Developers – Bundle For Ukraine

Itch.io and Necrosoft Games, an online games retailer with a strong focus on indies and digital games, have announced the launch of a Bundle for Ukraine from March 7, which will remain live through March 18, and where 100% proceeds will go to these charities. 

• International Medical Corps: The charity is a provider of medical aid to the Ukrainian people. Itch.io states that they have a very low overhead fundraising (1% income), and 89% go to medical assistance, while 10% goes to administrative. 
• Voices of ChildrenItch.io: A Ukrainian charity that assists children with the traumas of war and PTSD. They also help them re-adapt to school so they can be kids again. Itch.io reports that they have done a lot more than just helping to set up shelters during wartime. 

You can get nearly 1000 digital products such as books and RPGs, for as low as $10. 

Itch.io wrote that the Ukrainian people are being attacked. We as game developers want to make new worlds. Not destroy what is already there. We have gathered together to offer this bundle of charity to aid the Ukrainians in their struggle to survive and to thrive following the end of war. Creators from all over the world have been inspired by this cause. Our bundle includes almost 1000 tabletop RPGs and books. 

This bundle contains almost 600 digital games and 300 tabletop RPGs. There are also dozens of books, comics, music, soundtracks and other items. 

Epic Games

Epic Games announced on March 5 that it has suspended sales of its games in Russia as a result of the country’s unprovoked attack and invasion of Ukraine. GamesIndustry.biz reported this news. They also stated that in-game purchases have been banned and sales of Epic Games’ games in Russia were suspended. Epic Games stated on Twitter that they are not closing all its Russian services. 

Epic Games Newsroom tweets that “Epic has stopped commerce with Russia for our games as a response to the invasion of Ukraine.” We are not blocking access because other communication tools remain available online. The free world must keep lines of dialog open. 

Activision Blizzard

Activision Blizzard announced that it has stopped all physical sales and in-game microtransactions to Russia of all of its video games as a consequence of the invasion and unprovoked attack of Ukraine. GamesIndustry.biz. 

The publisher, by way of President and COO Daniel Alegre, announced this to employees via its own internal messaging system before publishing the statement on its own website on March 5. Alegre stated in the statement that Russia sales had been suspended and reiterated its commitment to safety for its workers, including those affected by events in Ukraine. 

Alegre wrote that the company will match employee donations 2 to charities providing relief for immediate needs in the area. Together, we raised more than $300,000. We will be adding additional charities next week and raising the matching limit for companies from $1000 to $10,000. 

You can read Activision Blizzard’s statement, in full, below: 

Sad Cat Studios

Sad Cat Studios in Belarus, which is behind Replaced released a statement on March 4, supporting Ukraine. It made it very clear that they are a studio against war. 

The statement on Twitter stated that “We are a Belarusian Studio and we want it to be perfectly clear: We are against war.” “We condemn Russian aggression toward Ukraine, as well as the participation of Belarusian officials in this aggression. It is not possible to excuse this. [the]The current war on terror and the suffering it causes are all around us. 

Our team has endured the rallies against dictatorship in Belarus in 2020 – one of us have been injured, one arrested. One of our members is now in prison, fighting for his country. We are so proud of such brave people. Despite this, we decided that our focus should be on [the]Well-being for our employees and relocation assistance 

Remedy Entertainment

Remedy Entertainment, which is the studio behind Control released a statement on March 4. It said it was supporting Ukraine and had donated 50,000 euro to Red Cross in order to assist victims of conflict. 

“As Remedy Entertainment, we all stand united in our support of Ukraine,” Remedy Entertainment writes in its statement. “To help the people of Ukraine and alleviate some of their suffering, we have donated 50 thousand euros to the Red Cross to help the victims of war. All our Ukrainian workers have been given support and we will continue to help their loved ones and families back home. 

Also, we are supporting our Russian employees who have been devastated by this terrible war. We aren’t blaming those responsible. While we do not normally make statements on world events, this shocking and touching incident involving the Russian invasion of Ukraine by its regime shocked and moved us all. We hope that peace will win.” 

EA

EA, publisher of sports games such as NHL, Madden NFL, and Battlefield 2042 announced that on March 4, it had stopped selling its content and games in Russia and Belarus. Here’s EA’s statementHere is the complete article: 

“We continue to be shocked at the conflict that is unfolding in Ukraine, and join so many voices around the world in calling for peace and an end to the invasion,” EA writes in the blog post. “We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We are concerned about the safety of all those living in the area, including our colleagues and partners. Therefore, we want to find ways that we can help these people beyond the existing programs. 

Our games and content will be no longer sold in Russia and Belarus, despite the ongoing conflict. Our games and content won’t be sold in the Russian region storefront, on Origin, or via EA App, as well as in-game shops. Our platform partners are working together to take our titles out of their shops and stop selling new content to the region. 

As this deeply troubling situation evolves, we’re continuously reviewing the steps we can take. In addition to changes to our EA Sports FIFA and NHL games, we are actively evaluating other areas of our games and operations, and will update with any further actions.” 

Microsoft

On March 4, Microsoft announced in a blog post that it was suspending sales of its products and services in Russia as a result of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Microsoft controls Xbox and this would likely include Xbox accessories such as official accessories or consoles. 

We are also coordinating with and working closely with the United States and European Union governments. In compliance with sanctions, many of our Russian business activities are being stopped. Our aid to Ukraine is most efficient when it’s coordinated with these decisions. We will continue to take further steps as the situation evolves.

Like so many others, we stand with Ukraine in calling for the restoration of peace, respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and the protection of its people.”  

Microsoft’s announcement comes days following. Ukrainian vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov publicly called on Sony and Microsoft to cut off Russia from its respective online gaming services immediately in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sony has not made a public stance or released a statement in regards to this war at the time of this writing.

Bloober Team

Bloober Team (the Polish-based studio that created The Medium, and other titles) announced March 3rd that it will be removing its Russian and Belarus digital store pages. 

“As the Russian unprovoked invasion of Ukraine continues, killing defenders and civilians alike, we at Bloober Team have decided to stop selling our titles in Russia and Belarus across all platforms,” Bloober Team writes in a press release. “We’ve been working with our partners to put the games down from the stores in these countries – the ban coming into effect first on Steam. 

Our hearts are with the Ukrainian people and this is one of several steps we’re currently taking to support them. We understand that our decision might affect many Russian and Belarussian players who are not involved in this invasion, but we strongly believe that every step that can help stop this war is worth taking – this includes showing full solidarity with the Ukrainian people both with words and actions, as well as creating pressure on the Russian and Belarussian public opinion. 

Global joint resistance could make a significant difference, we believe. We want to be a part of a world that doesn’t turn a blind eye to warmongering. And we won’t stay neutral when human lives are at stake.” 

The Pokémon Company

On March 3, The Pokémon Company released a statement in support of Ukraine on Twitter, pledging to donate $200,000 to its partners at GlobalGiving. 

“The growing crisis in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, which continues to cause the displacement of families and threaten the safety of children, is heartbreaking. 

The Pokémon Company International is making an immediate donation of $200,000 USD to our partners at GlobalGiving to provide humanitarian relief. The nonprofit will efficiently direct the funds to community-led organizations supporting families and children affected by the crisis.” 

Devolver Digital

Perhaps the most forward show of support for Ukraine, Devolver Digital, the publisher behind this year’s Sifu amongst others, kept it simple with the following on March 3: 

Devolver Digital, as you can see includes links to charity donations that can be made to Ukraine. 

John Romero

John Romero is the co-creator and legend of Doom II. He announced March 3rd that he has released Doom II at a higher level. 100% of Doom II revenue will be donated to Ukraine and the Ukrainian Red Cross. 

“One Humanity is a new level for the 1994 id Software release Doom II created by John Romero to support the people of Ukraine and the humanitarian efforts of the Red Cross and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund,” Romero’s website reads.” 100% of the proceeds go toward these support initiatives. One Humanity is Romero’s first Doom II level since the release of the original in 1994. The.WAD file contains both readme and external mod files. Players must have an original copy of Doom II and a modern source port to play one Humanity.” 

You can read more about Romero’s charity effort here. 

GSC Game World 

GSC Game World, which is behind S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, released a new video on March 3, detailing its current struggle in game development as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. GSC, Ukraine’s capital, is where the Russian invaders have been targeting since 24 February. It has been bombarded extensively and has become a strategic target. In the video, the studio announced that it would be putting Stalker 2 development on the “sidelines” so that it can focus on keeping its employees safe during this conflict. 

Here’s what was said, in full, in the video: 

“The previous week, we were editing the video about our motion-capture studio. This video will show you how we created the cutscenes. We took the time to review videos and write scripts. It was years ago that the week before had passed. Russia sent missiles, tanks and soldiers into Ukraine to declare war on Ukraine. The Russian government has forced our country to fight again for its existence. This seems to be the cost of freedom. We have the answer. [the] ‘How are you guys?” question. Now we are striving to help our employees and their families to survive. We will continue to work after victory, even though the game has been halted. Glory to Ukraine.”

Avalanche Studios Group

Avalanche Studios Group released a statement on March 2, supporting Ukraine. The studio revealed that it has donated to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 

Avalanche states in the statement that they strongly condemn Ukraine’s ongoing invasion. Avalanche Studios Group hosts 44 nations, which includes valued friends from Ukraine. Faced with this horrific and unprovoked conflict, we support their families, partners, peers and all of Ukraine. 

In order to help ease some of this immense suffering, we donate to the UNHCR tireless humanitarian efforts.” 

Unity

Unity, a video game engine development company, released a statement of support for Ukraine, including how it’s going to donate money to Ukrainian publishers and others, on March 2. 

“Unity stands with the people of Ukraine,” Unity writes on Twitter. “Here’s how we’re helping to support those affected: Internally, our employees are directly supporting four international humanitarian charities focused on helping the people of Ukraine with a triple-matching commitment from the company and our leaders. As of March 1, Unity and our employees have committed over $623,000 to supporting Ukraine.” 

Unity launched two new initiatives through the Unity Asset Store. You can find out more details about them below. 

Plarium

Raid Shadow Legends developer, Plarium, which is based in Ukraine, announced on March 1 in a new blog post that it has more than 700 employees sheltering in place throughout Ukraine and that its priority is the safety of its team. Plarium also revealed that it has donated $500,000 to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society alongside links and instructional help for people who want to help and get involved. The full statements can be viewed by clicking the link below. 

Ubisoft

Ubisoft, the publisher and developer behind franchises like Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed, released a statement on March 1 to show its support for its teams and the people of Ukraine. You can read the entire statement here. 

“We are devastated and heartbroken by the tragic events taking place in Ukraine,” Ubisoft writes. “Many Ubisoft team members call Ukraine home, and the thoughts of the entire Ubisoft community are with them, their loved ones, and all those affected by this war. We are committed to the well-being of all our team members and their families. Ubisoft closely monitored the situation over the last months and has made it our top priority to ensure the safety of our employees.

Ubisoft suggested that all teams seek shelter at a safe place as the events escalated during February. Each team member received additional funding to cover extraordinary costs. In addition, Ubisoft paid the salary ahead of time to ensure that banking system disruptions were not a factor. Ubisoft stepped up support from colleagues in Ukraine last week when the unimaginable happened. Alternative housing has been set up in neighbouring countries so that our colleagues and their families have shelter, if needed.

To stay closely connected to all our team members, Ubisoft has created dedicated hotlines to provide them with personalized support and aid. To ensure that we can keep in touch with colleagues under any circumstances, Ubisoft has also set up an emergency communication system. We are standing by the teams in Ukraine, and we will keep our support strong as conditions change. 

Children and adults in Ukraine are most in need of emergency humanitarian assistance, such as food, shelter, medical supplies, and housing. Ubisoft today donated a total amount of 200,000 Euros to Save the Children and the Ukrainian Red Cross to meet the immediate needs of the Ukrainian people. Please take good care of all the people in this conflict, including our Ukrainian friends. We are with you.” 

Embracer Group

Embracer Group is a Swedish videogame media holding company. It has a large videogame catalog that includes titles such as Saints Row and Kingdoms of Amalur. To show support for Ukraine, Embracer Group posted a tweet on February 28. 

“Millions of people are experiencing unthinkable hardships in Ukraine,” Embracer Group writes on Twitter. “The Embracer Group has decided to donate one-million US dollars for humanitarian aid to support those impacted through esteemed organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, SOS Children’s Villages, and ACT Alliance among others. 

In addition, our Group CEO, Lars Wingefors, will match this donation with another one-million US dollar pledge to support our employees and contractors who are directly impacted by this crisis.”

People can fly

People Can Fly, the studio behind last year’s Outriders, released a Twitter thread on February 28 showing its support for Ukraine, promising to donate 1 Polish zloty ($.22 USD), up to 1 million, for every Polish zloty donated by others to Polska Akcja Humanitarna, a Poland-based humanitarian organization that delivers aid to countries that need it. 

“Hard to find the right words,” People Can Fly writes on Twitter. “We are deeply saddened by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We at PCF strongly oppose war and violence. We are doing our best to take care of our Ukrainian team members and their loved ones.”

Techland

Techland, which is the studio behind Dying Light 2, issued a statement supporting Ukraine on February 26. It’s also going to be donating roughly $225,000 to Polska Akcja Humanitarna, a Poland-based humanitarian organization that delivers aid to countries that need it.

“The ongoing war in Ukraine has left us devastated and heartbroken beyond words,” Techland writes on Twitter. “In the past few days, we’ve been focusing on ensuring our employees and their families are safe and receive support. We’ve also joined the efforts of the Polish gaming community in supporting our neighbors from Ukraine by donating 1 million PLN to Polska Akcja Humanitarna – an organization that provides humanitarian assistance to people affected by the conflict. We are thinking of the Ukrainian people.” 

Crytek

Crytek, the studio behind the popular Crysis franchise with an office based in Ukraine’s Kyiv capital, released a statement on February 25 to show its support for Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict happening there. 

“Kyiv has been home to one of the Crytek studios for the last 15 years,” Crytek writes in the statement. “Our focus in Crytek has always been that people come first, so the safety of our colleagues and their loved ones during this uneasy time has been paramount to us. Since the beginning of the week, we have closely followed the situation and been in touch with studio personnel to offer our assistance during difficult times. 

We are deeply saddened by the current events, and our thoughts are with our team as well as all Ukrainian citizens.” 

CD Projekt Red

Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3 creator CD Projekt Red and other Polish-based companies released a statement supporting Ukraine on February 25, It pledged $225,000 towards Polska Akcja Humanitarna in Poland, a humanitarian organization that aids countries who need it. 

“The recent invasion on Ukraine, our friends and neighbors, left us shocked and outraged,” the studio writes in a tweet. “In solidarity with all victims of this act of aggression, the CD Projekt Group has decided to support humanitarian aid efforts by donating 1 million PLN to [Polska Akcja Humanitarna].”

Raw Fury

Raw Fury, the publishing label behind titles like Sable, posted a statement of support for Ukraine on Twitter on February 24. 

“Overnight, millions of Ukrainians have fled their everyday lives stolen away from them because of circumstances entirely out of their control,” Raw Fury writes in the statement “Houses lost, families separated, and the atrocity of war surrounding the neighborhoods they call home. This is the time to rally as a whole community in support of those affected by war. 

Raw Fury’s tenet is to treat people like human beings. When conflicts arise like these, it is crucial that humans show compassion for one another. Raw Fury is there to support Ukrainian citizens and will donate to the Ukrainian Red Cross in order to assist the war victims. We urge you all to help by donating so that aid can be made readily available for those in need.” 

Vostok Games

Vostok Games, the studio behind Survarium, posted a show of support for Ukraine on February 24 in the form of a picture of the Ukrainian flag with the hashtag “#StandWithUkraine.” 

Frogware

Frogwares (the team behind The Sinking City, and Sherlock Holmes) tweeted that on February 24, Russia attacked its homeland. This meant it could not stand by, depriving Ukraine of its sovereignty. 

“We can’t just stand by,” Frogwares writes on Twitter. “Russia attacks our homeland and denies the sovereignty of Ukraine. Although we want to be safe, it is not easy. We ask everyone to make Putin leave our country. #StopRussianAggression.”

Bungie

Bungie, developer of Destiny 2, has announced that 100% of proceeds from its Game2Give campaign will go to aid in Ukraine’s ongoing conflict. 

11 Bit Studios

11 Bit Studios wasn’t afraid to criticize Russia, and it showed support for Ukraine in its defense efforts. The studio also initiated a charity drive February 24. It put This War of Mine, a staunchly anti-war game developed by the studio, on sale on consoles and Steam, and 100% of the profits made during this sale are going to the Ukrainian Red Cross.

11 Bit Studios declared that on March 3, it had donated nearly $700,000. The studio also released this statement alongside its original drive, which details how the Poland-based studio feels about the ongoing conflict:

Game Informer will be updating this story.