With the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military raging on, the world holds its breath as it hopes for a peaceful resolution. While the terror is palpable, there has been a huge outpouring of support from across the globe, including a number of tech and gaming companies. With the likes of Epic Games, Nvidia, Apple, and Sony suspending sales within Russia, an example has been set about the kind of assistance that conglomerates feel they can give during this time. Alongside all these names is Humble Bundle, which has also decreed it will stop doing business with the nation.
In a post on Twitter recently, the official Humble Bundle account has made it clear that it stands with the Ukrainian people, and has made the decision to sever business ties, which includes all products and games, with Russia and Belaruse while the "unlawful invasion" continues. On top of that, the digital storefront also says it will be putting together an "all-to-charity bundle," with all proceeds going towards helping those in Ukraine who have been affected by the conflict. While there were no further details about what the bundle will contain or when it will be out, the tweet says that more information will be forthcoming next week.
This is in a similar vain to Itch.io which also put out an Ukraine charity bundle recently. At the time of writing, this one is close to reaching its current goal of $4 million. Itch.io's own offering includes nearly 1,000 games, of which there are some video game assets, interactive stories, and table-top titles as well. Most notably, the likes of Superhot, Celeste, and A Short Hike have all been included in this package, which those wishing to help can purchase for a minimum donation of just $10.
As for the site itself, Humble Bundle has been the subject of charity controversy in the past, when last year it decided to reduce the amount gamers can give to worthy causes when making a purchase. Ordinarily, users are able to adjust sliders to determine how much of their money goes to publishers, charity organizations, and the site itself. At the time, the company changed it to pre-selected options with minimized donations.
As a result, this was met with backlash from the community, but this latest endeavor perhaps shows an effort by Humble Bundle to be more charitable, especially during this devastating time. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine going on for just over a fortnight now, the world can only hope that there will be peace soon, especially for those immediately affected by it.