Ukraine studios call for support, express defiance after Russian invasion

gamedeveloper.com:

Developers in Ukraine have appealed for support after Russia launched an invasion into the country.

Hours after Russian military forces begin their assault on Ukraine, studios from across the country sent out messages of defiance on social media and called on their industry counterparts to send aid.

Stalker developer GSC Game World, based in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, asked industry peers to support the armed forces of Ukraine by sending money to a special aid account.

"As of today, the Russian Federation has officially declared war on Ukraine. Our country woke up with the sounds of explosions and weapons fire, but is ready to defend its freedom and independence, for it remains strong and ready for anything," said the studio in a statement.

"The future is unknown, but we hope for the best, are ever sure of our armed forces and our belief in Ukraine. We thus address all of our colleagues in the gaming industry. Players, bloggers, or anybody else who sees this post in their newsfeed: share this, do not stand aside, and help those in need."

The Sinking City developer Frogwares, also based in Kyiv, called for people around the world to help "force [Russian president Vladimir] Putin to withdraw from our lands."

"We're a peaceful nation, and in all the years since we gained our independence, we've never attacked or threatened anyone," said the company on Twitter. "Because of this situation our work will be impacted and our lives can be destroyed."

Speaking to Game Developer via email, Frogwares CEO and founder Wael Amr described the current mood in the capital as "tense and very fluid," and explained the company has been working with its employees to help where it can -- but for safety reasons chose not to discuss those plans