Activision Blizzard Pledges Support for Ukraine and Suspends Sales of Games in Russia

wowhead.com:

In a letter to employees, President and Chief Operating Officer Daniel Alegre announced that Activision Blizzard would be suspending sales within Russia and matching employee donations to provide relief within the area, having so far raised over $300,000. Although the wording is a bit vague, the message specifies that they will be suspending sales of and in their games, which implies that it includes things like subscription fees, DLC, microtransactions, and so on This joins the efforts of Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and CD Projekt Red in applying economic pressure while the conflict continues.

These are somewhat contentious moves, as some have complained that it punishes innocent players rather than the leaders promoting the conflict, although there is also an argument that there's little a gaming company like Activision Blizzard could feasibly do against those leaders directly either. Unfair as though it may be, inciting dissatisfaction ensures that otherwise unaffected people within Russia can't ignore the issue and will instead help pressure those leaders to end the conflict.

Our company’s commitment is to help those impacted by this terrifying violence and to provide assistance in every way possible. Today, we are announcing that Activision Blizzard will be suspending new sales of and in our games in Russia while this conflict continues.

We will continue to look at ways to support the Ukrainian people. I want to reassure you that the safety of our employees is our leadership team’s top priority.