The Russian invasion ofUkrainehas been raging for some time now, and much of the world has been waiting and hoping for a peaceful resolution. At the same time, the games industry has also been affected asdevelopment studios like Savage Game Designs flee Ukraineamid the conflict. However, there has been an outpouring of support from a slew of tech companies, and some figures have been calculated showing just how much the industry has given towards humanitarian efforts since the fighting began.
According to a report from Levvvel, data has shown that video game companies across the globe have donated more than $195 million. Epic Games and Microsoft have given the most by far, withFortniteraising $144 million for Ukraine, which does count for a large chunk of the final figure. However, the list of other companies is lengthy, showing the generosity of such tech giants as Sony, Square Enix, Activision Blizzard, and Riot Games. There are also non-development donations, such as Eurogamer giving $14,000.
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Just below Epic and Microsoft is the$20 million donated by Humble Bundleduring its “Stand for Ukraine” deal that took place last month. The bundle featured more than 120 items, most of which were games, that totaled about $2,500 in value. At the time of the deal ending, more than 470,000 people purchased the set, which contained such titles asBack 4 BloodandMetro Exodus. All the money raised during the sale went to a number of organizations, including Razom for Ukraine, International Rescue Committee, International Medical Corps, and Direct Relief.
This wasn’t the only game and software deal that went live for humanitarian purposes. Itch.io managed to raise more than $6 million for charity and included a roster of smallindie gamessuch asSuper Hot,Celeste,andBaldi’s Basics Plus. At the time of the bundle sale ending, nearly 450,000 gamers took part. Sadly, for whatever reason, Itch.io is not listed in the data put together by Levvvel.
Withstreamers such as Asmongold also raising thousands, there is a sense of solidarity running through the gaming industry and surrounding communities. Many well-wishes go out to theUkrainianpeople who have suffered terrible losses during the conflict. At the time of writing, there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight for the invasion. While many are calling for peace, there may be some comfort in knowing that so much of the world stands with the victims and are donating what they can.
