Russian forces invading Ukraine these past few weeks has been devastating for many of the victims directly affected by the conflict. However, the world has not stood still, and there has been a lot of support for the Ukrainian people. With many tech companies such as Sony, Epic, Nvidia, and Take-Two suspending sales in Russia, the rest of the globe has been doing what it can to help. Alongside that, there have been numerous gaming charities that have been set up and, now that it's ended, the Itch.io "Bundle for Ukraine" has raised an enormous figure.
According to the website itself, those who have purchased the bundle have collectively raised $6,370,532.22. That is an extraordinary amount for charity, and it all goes towards helping those in need. The Itch.io "Bundle for Ukraine" contained nearly 1,000 titles, most of which were games, but there were also some other pieces of software as well, such as video game assets. For a minimum donation of $10, players could show support for the Ukrainian people and get access to titles such as Superhot and Celeste.
Itch.io shows that not only did it raise more than its intended goal, but that nearly 450,000 people took part by downloading the bundle, with the top contributor donating $9,000 for the cause. That is certainly going towards a good cause, and it's also not the only way that the gaming industry is lending a monetary hand. Recently, Bandai Namco raised nearly $1 million, which all went towards humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
With the likes of Humble Bundle also due to set up their own Ukraine charity bundle as well as cutting business ties with Russia in solidarity, it seems that the gaming community at large is only too happy to do what it can to show support for those affected by the war. Humble's charity collection will likely be just as popular as the Itch.io one when it goes live, but at the time of writing, it's not known when that will be.
With Russia recently banning Instagram, there's a technological conflict going on, as well as a physical and much more deadly one. While many are continuing to offer whatever support they can for Ukraine, it's safe to assume that much of the world is standing by and hoping that there will be a peaceful resolution soon, especially for those who are the victims of the invasion.
Source: Itch.io