Bungie Suspends Sales In Russia, Gamigo Raises Funds For Ukraine Through Multiple MMOs

Bungie is the latest video game company to join the IGDA’s call to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The studio is currently working with their partners to suspend all Destiny 2 sales and microtransactions in Russia and Belarus. Players in the said regions will still be able to play the game but will not be able to purchase premium currency or new content.

They also raised $120,000 through the Bungie Foundation’s Game2Give charity campaign which they’ll be donating to Direct Relief and the International Rescue Committee who are both working to provide humanitarian aid to refugees and those still caught in the conflict zones. Bungie says that they’ll also match employee donations made to other US-based charitable organizations.

The dev team has also created a special player emblem to allow players to show their support for Ukraine within the game. The emblem is free and can be redeemed using a special code found in this week’s studio newsletter.

Gamigo has also taken up the call to support Ukraine and is currently raising funds through an in-game charity campaign across all of their games. Trove, Wizard101, Last Chaos, and Fiesta Online players can help out by purchasing in-game items and packs, the proceeds of which will go entirely to a chosen charity that is working to provide relief in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Canadian developer ETLOK Studios have once again delayed Into the Echo pre-alpha tests due to the ongoing war. “Due to some unforeseen circumstances surrounding the war in Ukraine, we've opted to move the pre-alpha to April 2-3,” tweeted the studio. “The safety of our staff comes first so we appreciate your understanding.”

GamesIndustry.biz has published an interesting piece on video game companies that have temporarily stopped sales and transactions in Russia and Belarus and how much they stand to lose to show their support for Ukraine. These companies include Activision Blizzard, CD Projekt Red, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Microsoft, Take-Two Interactive, and Ubisoft among others.

“Cutting off a $3.4 billion market, regardless of your position in it, is going to have an impact on your bottom line,” wrote GIBiz’s Editor-in-Chief James Batchelor. “So while the cessation of sales could be dismissed as a symbolic gesture, it’s more significant than that in the grander scheme of how these publishers do business.”