The two publishers Ubisoft and Take-Two have put sales of their games in Russia on hold.
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The next-gen version of “GTA 5” should not be released in Russia.
© rockstargames.com
More and more companies around the world are reacting to the war in Ukraine by stopping sales. Now, Ubisoft and Take-Two have also halted sales of their games in response to the Russian invasion. Both groups are joining other industry giants such as Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, Microsoft, EA and CD Projekt. Sony also stopped the sale of “Gran Turismo 7” in the Russian Playstore offshoot as soon as it was released. In response to the war, Nintendo has discontinued payment options in the eShop in Russia.
No next-gen GTA for Russia
Ubisoft justified the decision with the “ongoing tragedy in Ukraine”. According to Bloomberg, Ubisoft’s ban on sales applies to both physical and digital games. Take-Two has also decided to temporarily halt sales in Russia and Belarus. The games of the subsidiaries 2K Games and Rockstar Games (“Grand Theft Auto” series) are also included. It weighs particularly heavily because the next-gen offshoots of “GTA 5” for Xbox Series X/S and Playstation 5 are due to appear in two weeks.
Industry stands united behind Ukraine
Take-Two vice president Alan Lewis told The Verge that “the events in Ukraine are being watched with concern and heartache.” After long deliberations, the decision was made last week to stop all game sales in both countries and also to stop brand support in Russia and Belarus.
No “FIFA” and “Cyberpunk 2077” for Russia
EA Games reacted similarly last week and stopped selling its “FIFA” and “NHL” games as well as all digital and physical titles in Russia. At Activision Blizzard, the ban refers to new releases. CD Projekt Red, which is responsible for “Cyberpunk 2077”, also wants to stop all sales of its games in Russia.
Ukraine: War also hits gaming industry hard
