The gaming world is banding together in a powerful show of support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. Big game companies and smaller indie developers alike are changing their ways, balancing their business needs with a strong belief in doing what’s right. This is all happening while international sanctions are in full swing. Companies like Valve and EA are just going along with these restrictions, set by the U.S. and other countries.
This situation has caused plenty of online chats and debates, especially among gamers.
It all started when Ukraine asked game developers around the globe to temporarily block Russian and Belarusian players. Big-name game companies were quick to answer this call.
Take the Lead
Ubisoft, a huge French game company, was one of the first to act, stopping game sales in Russia. Take-Two Interactive did the same, putting a halt on new sales and support in Russia and Belarus, even on their Rockstar Game Launcher.
Activision Blizzard has chosen a unique way of showing support: they’ve stopped selling games in Russia and Belarus and promised to match any donations their workers make to help Ukraine. This sends a clear message that they don’t support the invasion and stand by those who are suffering because of it.
Microsoft has stopped all sales in Russia, including Xbox gear, software, and Game Pass subscriptions.
Nintendo of Europe has announced that they will stop all new eShop sales in Russia starting from May 31st, 2023. They will delete all credit card and PayPal details for safety reasons and won’t allow new Nintendo Accounts to be set up with Russia as the chosen country.
Payment Problems
Big international sanctions on Russia have caused banks and payment services to block and freeze Russian and Belarusian accounts. This has made it very hard to carry out transactions, with companies struggling to process payments in Russian rubles due to these sanctions.
DMarket, a Ukrainian company that works with NFTs and virtual gaming items, was quick to show their support. They blocked new users from Russia and Belarus and froze the assets of existing users from these countries back in 2022. Their website states: “Due to the ongoing circumstances and in accordance with international sanctions and policies, users from Russia and Belarus are unable to trade on DMarket. For the time being, these accounts (Russian and Belarusian – Editor) have been frozen. However, all assets continue to remain within the users’ accounts.”
Why Blocking is Important
Even though Russian and Belarusian gamers are getting caught up in this, it’s vital to remember that while the war continues, their accounts can’t be unlocked. We can’t be sure who is behind these accounts or what they’re up to. To keep everyone safe, most respected banks, payment systems, and gaming platforms have frozen Russian accounts to prevent any potential danger.
This crisis has shown how the gaming industry can join forces and show corporate responsibility. Business and moral duties are coming together in a way that will impact the gaming community, which has always stood for human values. As things continue to change, gamers around the world will be watching what their favorite game companies and the international community will do next.
