Will Playstation & XBOX Block Russian Accounts?
HipsterZOMBIEJoint Experience
1 min read
Ukraine’s deputy prime minister has called on PlayStation and Xbox to take a stand against Russia by blocking the accounts of Russian users.
Deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov penned an open letter in which he asked for video game companies and esports organisations to do “everything possible to protect Ukraine, Europe and finally the entire democratic world from bloody authoritarian aggression”.
“Xbox and PlayStation: You are definitely aware of what is happening in Ukraine right now,” Fedorov wrote. “Russia declare war not for Ukraine but for all civilized world. If you support human values, you should leave the Russian market!”
A wide range of studios and esports stars have already condemned the invasion, and made donations to various humanitarian causes.
Neither Sony nor Microsoft has acknowledged Fedorov’s plea, but many companies within the games industry are taking action in light of the crisis in Ukraine. EA is removing Russian teams from both FIFA 22 and NHL 22, for instance, which mirrors the real-world FIFA and UEFA’s ban on all Russian teams from competition.
However, EA isn’t blocking Russia as Fedorov’s request suggests. It’s unclear at this time if any companies in the games industry will do so.
What do you think? Should gaming platforms block Russian users from their games? Let us know in the comments.
