As the Ukraine/Russia war continues to make dramatic and terrifying headlines, corporations around the world are aligning to do their part to discourage the Russian invasion. Sanctions in the financial industry tend to feel the most potent. But now, Ukraine is calling for a Russian gaming ban. And it isn’t as absurd as it sounds.
Mykhailo Fedorov, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, is calling on gaming companies to shut off access to their games in Russia. He hopes this helps foster an environment of discomfort among the Russian gaming community which might lead to revolt.
Fedorov went public with his sentiments, tagging Xbox and PlayStation devices.
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 the Russian market! pic.twitter.com/tnQr13BsSv
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) March 2, 2022
The belief is that many gamers will feel the pressure to loathe their government. Though, we’d be remiss to point out that you shouldn’t need to lose access to Fortnite in order to feel sympathy for people losing their possessions and life.
Given that a number of other mainstream organizations have taken a similar action, it wouldn’t be a surprise if gaming companies around the world fulfilled Fedorov’s request. Gaming culture in Russia is massive. And moreover, a number of gaming companies exist in Ukraine.
Russian citizens continue to lose while Russian troop conveys press further into Ukraine. Sad images continue to surface as the massive shelling event continues. Hopefully, sanctions and corporate shutoffs wear on Russia enough to inspire a cease fire.