Finnish mobile development company Supercell, which has made popular titles like Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars, announced yesterday that it’s halting all operations in Russia and Belarus. The company also called for peace in Ukraine.
Supercell now joins a growing list of gaming companies that are distancing themselves from Russia after the country launched an invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. The company has removed all of its games from the application stores in Russia and Belarus. Besides this, new downloads have been halted and access for players in these countries will be suspended with the next client update.
More than 13,000 people have been reported dead and at least 2.3 million people have been displaced as a result of the war. Supercell had said last week that it was “horrified” by the crisis and that it stands with “all people around the world calling for peace.”
The company has also committed a donation of €1 million to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to support the people affected by the war. It also launched a fundraiser to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and has matched donations up to €1 million. So far, the fundraiser has raised a little over $422,000.
With the suspension of services in Russia and Belarus, esports competitions in those regions have also been halted. The official Clash Royale esports accounts said in a tweet yesterday that players from these two countries have been suspended from esports tournaments until “further notice.” The Brawl Stars Championship for the EECA region was also put on hold last week due to the crisis.
