Game Studios Show Support For Ukraine

Russia attacked Ukraine openly and invaded it on February 24, following weeks of growing tensions between them. Hundreds of Ukrainian citizens were reported to have been killed in the bombings or by Russian militia. 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 keep this story updated. 

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. Additionally, Niantic’s games have been suspended for indefinitely in Russia & Belarus. 

We stand by the international community and hope for peace. 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.” 

This announcement comes just days after Nintendo placed Russian eShop into maintenance mode. It prevents users buying digital games from the Russian eShop and suspends all downloads. This is what it looks like IGN points out, this wasn’t necessarily done in support of Ukraine either, at least not directly and publicly. Nintendo stated that its payment system no longer processes Russian Rubles and forced the eShop’s temporary closure. 

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 VergeThis is the 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 an emphasis 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 assistance in Ukraine. Itch.io states that they have a very low overhead fundraising (1% income). 89% go to medical assistance and 10% are for administration. 
• 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 the ones we have. 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 has made a Twitter statement indicating that it will not end all services in Russia. 

Epic Games Newsroom tweets that “Epic has stopped commerce with Russia for our games as a response to the invasion of Ukraine.” “We aren’t blocking access to the same reasons other communication tools remain online. We believe the world needs to keep its lines of dialogue open. 

Activision Blizzard

Activision Blizzard suspended sales of all its digital and physical games in Russia due to the unprovoked invasion and attack on 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 made clear that sales were being suspended in Russia. He also stated that safety is its number one priority, particularly for those who are currently affected by the 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 (based in Belarus) released on March 4 a statement supporting Ukraine, making clear its opposition to war. 

According to a Twitter statement, “We are the Belarusian studio” and declare that they are opposed to war. “We condemn Russian aggression toward Ukraine, as well as the participation of Belarusian officials in this aggression. This is unacceptable. [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 brave members of the team is being held in war chaos, protecting his country. Despite this, we decided that our focus should be on [the]Our team’s well-being and relocation.” 

Remedy Entertainment

Remedy Entertainment (the studio behind Control) released a statement March 4, in support of Ukraine. It stated that it had donated 50,000 Euros to the Red Cross for victims of war. 

“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. We support all of our Ukrainian employees and are ready to assist their family and friends back home. 

Our Russian workers are being supported as well. They are horrified by the brutality of this 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 statementThe complete text is available here: 

“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 stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Our main concern is their safety, especially those who are colleagues or partners. We want to know how best we could help them beyond what programs are in place. 

We’ve made the difficult decision not to sell our content and games in Russia or Belarus during this ongoing conflict. The Russian region storefront will not be open for purchases on Origin and the EA app. In-game content can also no longer be purchased in this manner. Additionally, we are working closely with our partners on platforms to remove our games from these stores as well as to end the sales of in-game content for 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. As the situation changes, we believe that we can be most helpful in helping Ukraine when we coordinate with their decisions.

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 from Poland, which is behind The Medium and others, has announced that on March 3, it would be pulling its digital store pages out of Russia and Belarus. 

“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. 

A global, joint resistance is possible. 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 (the famed creator of Doom II) announced that he had released Doom II’s new level and that all of its revenue would go to Ukraine. 

“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 is the company 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 targeted for Russian takeover. 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. This week seemed so long ago. Russia invaded Ukraine on the 24th February and sent tanks, rockets and soldiers to its homeland. The Russian government has forced our country to fight again for its existence. It seems like freedom is at stake. We have the answer. [the] ‘How are you guys?” question. Now we are striving to help our employees and their families to survive. Although the game’s development was halted, we plan to continue our efforts after winning. 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 stated in the statement, “We strongly condemn Ukraine’s continuing invasion.” Avalanche Studios Group houses 44 nationalities including colleagues from Ukraine. Faced with this horrific and unprovoked conflict, we support their families, partners, peers and all of Ukraine. 

We are contributing to the UNHCR’s tireless humanitarian efforts in order to alleviate the suffering. 

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. The full statement is available 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. The safety and well-being and comfort of our employees and families is our top priority. Ubisoft closely monitored the situation over the last months and has made it our top priority to ensure the safety of our employees.

Ubisoft advised all teams to find shelter somewhere safe as events escalated mid-February. As they faced these hard decisions, team members were given additional money to assist them. Additionally, their salaries were paid in advance so that there was no disruption to the banking system. Ubisoft provided support to our Ukrainian colleagues and helped them when the impossible became possible last week. 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. A system of emergency communications has been set up to allow us to stay in touch with all our team members in any situation. 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 will donate a combined total of 200,000 euro to Save the Children and the Ukrainian Red Cross today to assist with the emergency needs of the Ukrainian populace. Take care, all members of the Ukrainian community as well as anyone else who has been affected by this war. 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. Our thoughts and prayers are with 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, The studio made a pledge to give $225,000 to Polska Akcja Humanitarna (a Polish-based humanitarian organisation that provides aid to those in need). 

“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.” 

Frogwares

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 appeal to everyone to demand that Putin withdraws from our lands. #StopRussianAggression.”

Bungie

Bungie (the developer behind Destiny 2) announced February 24th that it would donate 100% of the profits of its Game2Give drive in the first 48 hours to support humanitarian efforts to Ukraine. 

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, a Polish-based studio announced on March 3 that it would donate nearly $700,000.000 to Ukraine. 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 keep this story updated.