Game companies raise donations for Ukraine, cut Russian ties

Games have a way of conveying what war is like and not only from the point of view of glory. Polish developer 11 Bit Studios created a simulation title called This War of Mine to show what it’s like for civilians to survive during war. And now the company is donating all profits from This War of Mine and its content on all platforms to support the Ukrainian Red Cross in light of the horrifying war in Ukraine.

Storefront GOG also said it would donate all profits for the next week from This War of Mine to support Ukraine. On Facebook, Ukrainian developers urged people to donate to the Ukrainian National Bank to support the Ukrainian army. IGN and Axios have stories describing a lot of the reaction and donation campaigns. We also have added our own material about the reactions to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Our own story noted that many thousands of game developers in Ukraine are working on titles at work-for-hire studios or original games as well. Achievers Hub and UNIT.City Innovation Park compiled a report in 2018 that mentioned 30 recently formed game studios, while Alexey Menshikov of Beatshapers said that he was part of the first Ukraine game studio, Action Forms, in the 1990s. The video report on the Ukraine game industry notes there are 400 companies in games in Ukraine and more than 30,000 employees.

GSC Game World, which makes the Stalker series set in a radioactive Chernobyl, asked its players for donations to support Ukraine’s army. The company was expecting to release Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, in the near future. Playtika, which has a large workforce in Ukraine, said it contributed $100,000 to the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal Fund to support those providing critical humanitarian relief in the war in Ukraine.

“We stand in loving support and solidarity with the Ukraine civilization and our continuous 12-year ongoing commitment to Playtika’s family of employees in Ukraine. You are endlessly on our minds and in our hearts,” Playtika said.

And Upland, which makes a virtual real estate game based on real-world locations, said that it is helping its Ukraine-based team find places to live outside the country. Some left last week to help set up an office in Poland, but others are stuck in the cities of Kyiv, Mikolev, and Lviv.

The International Game Developers Association said the war is the result of “unprovoked aggression by Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin.”

“The IGDA extends its support for Ukraine, its people, and the studios and game developers affected by this egregious breach of international law,” the IGDA said on Tuesday. “As an international organization that values community and advocacy, we express our solidarity with Ukraine and our peers, friends, and colleagues within the Ukrainian game development community. Today, the IGDA calls on the games industry to denounce the violent actions taken against Ukraine.”

In addition to the This War of Mine campaign, the IGDA pointed to the following links:

• Poland: Information for Refugees from Ukraine
• List of informational links including donation links for medical supplies, children, and more.
• A Reddit thread that displays a collection of charities across Ukraine
• Twitter thread coordinating support among studios for developers and colleagues fleeing Ukraine

Meanwhile, Ukraine-born startup DMarket said it cut all relationships with Russia and Belarus due to the invasion of Ukraine. It is cutting partners and raising money from the gaming community through skin sales to fight the Russian invasion. DMarket no longer works with Russian payment systems and its currency. Players can donate skins as well through DMarket.

DMarket said more than 100 DMarket team members and their families were relocated to Western Europe. But some stayed in Ukraine to serve. Game developers are part of the humanitarian crisis forming at Ukraine’s borders as families attempt to flee to Poland and elsewhere.

WePlay Holding also said it has terminated all partnership agreements with companies from Russia. Starting from now WePlay advertise any brands of Russian origin in its esports broadcasts. 

Kyiv-based Frogwares, maker of the Sherlock Holmes video games, called on everyone to help force Putin’s army to withdraw. Tallboys, the maker of Pandemic Express, also spoke out against the war on Twitter. Ubisoft said it is providing aid to its 500-plus team members in Ukraine.

Riot Games said it was suspending a Valorant Champions Tour tournament involving teams in Ukraine and Russia. Sengi Games, maker of The Serpent Rogue, also said it would not be able to answer queries because of the war. Alexey Menshikov, CEO of the 20-person Beatshapers studio in Kyiv, said his team was in the midst of being evacuated.

Save the Children is providing humanitarian aid for children in Ukraine. The United Nations is shipping emergency supplies and water to Ukraine, while Project Hope is sending medical supplies. CD Projekt Red, based in Poland, voiced its own support for its neighboring country.

Bungie is giving all of the proceeds of the first 48 hours of its Game2Give donation drive to humanitarian aid efforts in response to the war.

4A Games, maker of the Metro series that moved from Ukraine to Malta, said, “We’re neither politicians nor superheroes – we’re game developers. Our large family includes people from all over the world, and all of us want just one thing – for the horrors of war not to ever break out of imaginary worlds.”

Polish developer Beetlewing said will also donate the proceeds of its game Slipways to the Help Ukraine Fund of the Polish Red Cross, until the third of March. 

Update: In a comment on Monday, Wargaming said:

“At Wargaming, the safety and security of our employees is the top priority. Currently, all available company resources are helping and supporting our 550+ colleagues: providing them with alternate housing, early salary payments, additional funds to aid travel and relocation.

We are helping our employees’ families to travel to neighboring countries and organizing accommodation for them.

And lastly, today Wargaming Kyiv is donating $1 million to the Ukrainian Red Cross. These funds will be used to support Ukrainian hospitals and doctors, those citizens who have been displaced, and other vital activities of the humanitarian organization as is needed.

We will be able to proceed with further humanitarian help if the situation requires.”