Calls To Boycott Russia Come As Donations Roll In For Ukraine

It has been a week now since the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian forces under the direction of Vladimir Putin, something that if you’ve been breathing for more than five minutes, you’ll be acutely aware of. As the calls for sanctions roll in, not just in terms of monetarily but also to clear Russia’s history of sports-washing off the table in this time, some are quicker acting than others. The first action I saw within the gaming sphere we live in was Ubisoft, offering help, including resettling developers under their banner, providing emergency funding, and all that can be done for those fleeing the active warzone.

In a statement shared on Twitter and later expanded upon on its website, the publishing giant stated, “Over the past months, Ubisoft has been closely monitoring the situation, and our primary focus has been the security of our teams. As events escalated in mid-February, Ubisoft recommended all teams take shelter in a place they considered safe. To support them as they made these difficult decisions, each team member was provided additional funds to help cover exceptional costs and paid their salary in advance to account for any potential disruption to banking systems.” The company also announced they would be offering €200,000 in a donation to the Ukrainian Red Cross.

Ubisoft isn’t the only one with studios in the region offering donations, as fellow European developer CD Projekt Red (in neighboring Poland) has made a statement. In a brief statement on Twitter GOG, a storefront owned by CD Projekt Red, joined in partnership with 11 Bit Studios to make sure profit from the sale of This War of Mine and its DLC will be going to the Red Cross also. Meanwhile, Eurogamer reports the publisher/developer is making a pledge of 1-million Polish złoty, which is roughly $230,870 for humanitarian efforts. They stated – “We cannot remain indifferent in the face of such injustice and we ask everybody to join in and help in any way you can. Together we can make a huge difference!”

Similarly, Czech developer SCS Software has stated it is rushing to roll out a new cosmetic DLC that is aimed at supporting the Ukrainian people, bringing paint jobs and other cosmetics to both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. They stated that they are “racing to bring these things to the Steam Store as soon as possible” with 100% of the income going towards those in need. Already the company has donated €20,000 (roughly $22,400) with more donations to proceed that in the coming weeks and days. Though as PC Gamer’s Andy Chalk highlights on this issue, the developer announced a Heart of Russia DLC that is still yet to come to Euro Truck Simulator 2.

Further donations were pledged by THQ Nordic, Gearbox, Koch Media, and Saber Interactive’s parent company Embracer Group. In a statement released on Twitter, the publishing giant stated that it will donate $1-million “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.” Lars Wingerfors of the Embracer Group is matching the donation to help employees and contractors directly impacted by the ongoing war within the Ukrainian borders.

As donations pour in from across the tech industry, there is also a boycott from several companies and organizations, including FIFA and UEFA as of Monday. It was only yesterday that the FIA, the governing body of international motorsports and most notably F1, met to decide the fate of Russian teams and drivers such as Nikita Mazepin. The FIA released a lengthy statement in line with the IOC, noting that Russian and Belarusian drivers will be allowed to participate though only under a neutral flag, anthem, symbols, colors, or otherwise. Mazepin, the son of Dmitry Mazepin worth $1.3-billion, won’t however be able to compete at the British GP as Motorsport UK banned Russian and Belarusian drivers.

Such a ban is important to note as four days ago Ukrainian leaders called on Tim Cook to stop Apple’s operations in Russia, with Cook taking the decision yesterday. Now, Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has taken to asking Microsoft and Sony to halt PlayStation and Xbox operations within the Russian Federation following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Stating on Twitter, “You are definitely aware of what is happening in Ukraine right now. Russia declare war not for Ukraine but for all civilized world. If you support human values, you should live [sic] the Russian market!”

Further boycotts, delays, and otherwise are coming by the minute, hour, and day, as impassioned speeches are made in global stages such as the floor of the UN. UN Security Council members left the room when the Russian ambassador spoke Tuesday the 1st of March in a staged walkout. All of this comes as Russian forces continue to head toward Kyiv in a 40-mile long column of armored vehicles, as the shelling of cities and major population centers continues into the 7th day.