Video games are often used as a form of escapism. With immersive worlds and robust storylines driven by player action, it’s easy to get swept up in games like Elden Ring, Sifu, and Horizon Forbidden West. However, the situation in Ukraine has had massive and far-reaching effects, and even those hoping to distract themselves with their favorite hobby cannot totally detach themselves from troubling global affairs.From streamers being forced to flee their home countries to Ukrainian developers placing their games on indefinite hiatus, the implications of this tragically historic conflict have impacted an industry many would have considered to be completely irrelevant to the crisis. Now Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called on gaming giants Xbox and PlayStation to support the Ukrainian war effort.In a March 2 tweet, Fedorov highlights the tragedy that has befallen Ukraine and appeals to all parties sympathetic to his cause. He then calls on Xbox and PlayStation to help curb Russian aggression by temporarily banning Russian and Belorussian accounts, suspending esports teams from those regions, and canceling esports events slated to be held in Russia and neighboring territories. It may sound like an odd move, but, given Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red’s recent donation to Ukrainian aid efforts, it seems that help can come from even the most unlikely places.
PlayStation and Xbox have yet to issue an official response regarding Fedorov’s requests, and, while many responses on Twitter are in favor of the notion, some argue that these efforts won’t do much good unless other gaming corporations like Valve, Nintendo, and Ubisoft enact similar measures. It may seem like a strange conversation for Twitter users to be engaged in, but the recent backlash against actor John Cena’s Peacemaker tweet suggests that the site’s users are deeply passionate about the crisis.
Ultimately, it may seem as if the temporary banning of Russian accounts from PlayStation and Xbox wouldn’t have much of an impact, but, combined with the actions of other international companies, a global message of solidarity with Ukraine and contempt for the Russian government becomes clear. Electronic Arts has removed Russia from its FIFA and NHL titles, a World of Tanks creative director was fired over his pro-Russian comments, and Apple has suspended the sale of its products in Russia. These actions suggest that even relatively-unaffected parties can act as a force for good during this difficult juncture.