The games industry coming together in response to the conflict in Ukraine which is a worrying, painful, and emotional issue. Gamingonphone encourages courteous behavior when discussing this topic and does not support any form of abuse.
Right now, the globe appears to be a frightening and painful place to be. It’s been hard to focus on anything else for the past couple of weeks, with the news that Russia has invaded Ukraine dominating headlines. In such a tumultuous time, continuing to play and write about games seems meaningless, yet life must go on. There are, thankfully, ways we can assist, and several game makers have already stepped forward to demonstrate their support for Ukraine and its people.
Games Industry responds to the Ukraine conflict
11 bit studios kicked off the outpouring of support by declaring that all revenues from This War of Mine will be donated to the Ukrainian Red Cross for one week. This money would subsequently be used to help Ukraine’s conflict victims. 11 Bit Studios announced on Twitter that it has donated $715,000 so far, an astonishing feat that highlights how passionate people are about ending the war.
Well-known publisher Ubisoft has also taken measures to help and safeguard the people of Ukraine. The company has donated 200k Euro in association with Red Cross Ukraine and Save The Children to help the situation.
Frogwares (The Sinking City, Sherlock Holmes), Sengi games (The Serpent Rogue), Tallboys (Pandemic Express, Where the Clouds End), Vostok Games (working on an unannounced AAA shooter), and GSC Game World (Stalker and Stalker 2), among other Ukrainian developers, have issued statements on their official Twitter accounts calling for Ukraine’s continued independence and an end to the attack on their country.
Gameloft, a big gaming studio known for titles including The Asphalt series, Modern Combat series, and Gangstar Vegas, was also impacted and issued a statement.
The Ukraine studios of Gameloft – Kharkiv, which opened in 2007, and Lviv, which opened in 2014 – specializing in casual games and live game evolution, production, and quality assurance, respectively. They’re behind some of Gameloft’s most well-known brands, such as Asphalt Extreme and Order and Chaos.
Angry Birds maker Rovio Entertainment has also expressed its support for peace in Ukraine and is working with UNICEF Finland.
Team17 Digital, known for their award-winning games like Overcooked, Yooka-Laylee, Aven Colony, and Sheltered has donated to the Red Cross/Red Crescent in Ukraine. They have also urged their followers to come forward and support the organization’s efforts to help those affected by the crisis. “We remain in close contact with the leadership of those studios, and we will support them & their families in any way we can”, said the company on its LinkedIn post.
Finland-based well-known mobile games developer and publisher Supercell has also joined the noble cause by donating to UNHCR.
Famous for the Witcher series, CD Projekt Red stopped its sales in Russia and Belarus.
Game publisher Devolver Digital has also joined the cause to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Pokemon Company has also donated $200k to GlobalGiving to help the situation in Ukraine.
Famous Finnish developer Fingersoft, the household names behind Boom Karts and Hill Climb Racing have announced that they will make significant contributions to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to help the ones suffering in Ukraine.
Microsoft has also joined the fleet of abandoning Russia. Recently the company has stopped its sales in Russia and also removed Minecraft from the Russian Google Play and App Stores.
We hope that the nightmare for the Ukrainians, as well as everyone else who is suffering from the horrors of war, comes to an end soon.
What are your thoughts on the support given by the games industry to those affected by the Ukraine conflict? Let us know in the comments below!
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