Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted a big response from the entertainment world, specifically the video game industry. Several publishers and development studios have voiced their support for the Ukrainian people, with many sending financial aid and even pausing their business in Russia until the matter is resolved. Now, one of the gaming industry’s biggest players is joining in on the boycott, as Sony will be pausing all hardware and software sales in Russia until further notice.
Sony announced the halting of its business in Russia on March 9, 2022. Effective immediately, the company will cease the sale of hardware (consoles) and software (games) in the country of Russia as a protest of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The company’s full statement on the matter is as follows.
Sony is the latest, and arguably one of the biggest gaming entities yet to show solidarity with Ukraine and pause its business in Russia. Recently, Itch.io released a charity bundle that raised $2 million USD for Ukrainian relief. Nintendo also announced earlier today that it decided to delay the release of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp amid the conflict. It was just a week ago that Ukraine’s Vice PM urged Xbox and PlayStation to take a stance against the Russian invasion. We’ll continue to report on how the evolving conflict in Ukraine is impacting the video game industry.