Amazon’s MMORPG New World will not receive a Russian localization, with Amazon Games confirming the decision is a direct response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking with TechRadar Gaming, Christoph Hartmann, vice president of Amazon Games, said, “We were looking into localizing New World for Russia, and we stopped that.” An Amazon spokesperson later confirmed to TechRadar that the decision is due to the ongoing war.
Amazon is also responsible for the recent Western localization and release of the free-to-play Korean MMORPG Lost Ark, which has been playable in Russia since 2019. While Amazon wasn’t involved in the Russian localization of Lost Ark, Amazon has been working closely in partnership with developer Smilegate RPG on the Western version. Smilegate RPG has yet to comment on whether or not Lost Ark will continue services as normal in Russia.
Amazon deciding to pull the plug on the Russian version of New World is another case of video game companies taking action in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine, with companies like CD Projekt, EA, and Microsoft all stopping new sales of games and/or services in the region. Ukraine’s government has called on companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to temporarily ban Russian and Belarusian accounts from their games and services, as well as cancel esport or gaming-related events in Russia and Belarus.
Other companies, ranging from big-name developers like Bungie to small indie teams like 11 Bit Studios, have also donated money to the Ukrainian Red Cross, UNICEF, and other charities. In response to Russia’s invasion, EA will be removing Russian teams from FIFA 22 and NHL 22.
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