What you need to know
- Russia is currently invading Ukraine.
- Sony is suspending sales of PlayStation games and hardware in Russia.
- The PlayStation Store will no longer be accessible in Russia.
Sony is suspending sales of PlayStation games and consoles to Russia, the company confirmed on Wednesday. This move comes as Russia is currently invading Ukraine.
In a statement (via CNBC) Sony confirmed that shipments of PlayStation games and consoles to Russia, including the PS5 and recent racing title Gran Turismo 7, have been ceased. The PlayStation Store will also no longer be accessible in Russia for the foreseeable future.
“Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) joins the global community in calling for peace in Ukraine,” Sony said. “To support humanitarian aid, Sony Group Corporation announced a US$2 million donation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the international NGO, Save the Children, to support the victims of this tragedy.”
In the past weeks, multiple other game publishers and developers have pulled their games from Russia, including publisher Electronic Arts, Polish horror developer Bloober Team, and developer CD Projekt RED, best known for games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
“We know that players in Russia and Belarus, individuals who have nothing to do with the invasion of Ukraine, will be impacted by this decision, but with this action we wish to further galvanize the global community to speak about what is going on in the heart of Europe,” CD Projekt RED stated at the time.
Other console manufacturers have also acted, as Microsoft is also ceasing shipments of Xbox consoles and games to Russia.
The ongoing invasion has also threatened the safety of video game studios located in Ukraine, with GSC Game World pausing development of Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl until the war is over. Multiple game studios in and around Ukraine have also shared fundraising efforts to support those affected by the war.
