Amid war, Ukrainian game developers say patriotism keeps them going

It’s been more than 50 days since Russia launched its illegal invasion of Ukraine. The battlefield has seen dramatic changes in the last few weeks. Dug-in Ukrainian troops have stopped an armored attack on Kyiv’s capital. Russian troops are withdrawing and redeploying in preparation for what experts predict will be a new offensive in Donbas to the east. Some game designers have been able to resume work after the cease-fire, which many Polygon users now consider their patriotic duty.

“Kyiv is much more alive now,” said Red Beat’s lead game designer Yaroslav Singaevskiy in an email to Polygon last week. “More shops, markets, and coffee [houses]They are available for business. There is more traffic. It’s even possible to rent a bike or electric scooter again! Rejuvenating is also possible. [our] capital is crucial for the economy because Kyiv produces about 20% of Ukraine’s GDP.”

Although it helped relieve some of the pressure that was being placed on residents, evidence has been found of possible war crimes by the Russian troops who fled Kyiv. Investigators found evidence that the Bucha city was subject to mass killings. Those atrocities and more prompted United States president Joseph Biden to call Russian president Vladimir Putin “a dictator [who] commits genocide.”

“It was a shock for all of us when the first reports from Bucha arrived,” Singaevskiy said. “It’s unbelievable to see such barbaric acts in the modern world. It is hard to describe the pain and suffering caused by this. Additionally, besieged Mariupol is expected to deliver worse news, as Russian artillery, air force, and aircraft continue to crush it. The number of civilian deaths is estimated [here] are already at 20,000 dead.”

At least one Ukrainian company has said that it is still growing despite the ongoing war. Pingle Studio has seen a 20% increase in its staff since the beginning of war.

“Ukrainians are really motivated to work and pay taxes to support Ukrainian economics,” wrote Tymur Solod, content manager at Pingle. Finding safe work places has been difficult due to the conflict, particularly in the east. The cadence and intensity of fighting and shelling is now increasing.

“We evacuated teams and families from the East as fast as it could be done,” said Solod. “All those people had to settle and go back to the working schedule ASAP to keep providing for their families. Some people chose private transportation to flee. However, we have all witnessed some truly tragic incidents. We continue to work together and support each other. Most of our families are alive and well now.”

“As for leaving the country, it’s not an option for us,” Solod said. The theme was common among all the studios Polygon had been in contact with. Every developer we spoke with sees their work as imperative to Ukraine’s eventual recovery.

“We intend to stay here for as long as possible,” wrote Weasel Token founder Alex Molodkin. “Freedom has always been extremely important for Ukrainians, and no one is taking it from us that easily. We believe in our armed forces and the international community’s support — Russia will never prevail because capturing territories is one thing, but our will to fight shall not be extinguished.”

“As it stands Frogwares have no official plans to leave Ukraine,” wrote Paul Milewski, a public relations manager working with that company. Frogwares has released the latest Nintendo Switch port. Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s DaughterOn April 7, “This is where the bulk of our team call home and where their families are. When peace comes we will all be needed even more to help rebuild and the idea of abandoning Ukraine entirely at a time like that is inconceivable.”