Riot Games, the developer and publisher of the massively popular MOBA League of Legends, has pledged to donate battle pass sales from its games to humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine and adjacent affected areas.
The current Russo-Ukrainian invasion officially commenced last week following seven years of conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine. Russian president Vladimir Putin has called the invasion a "special military operation" with the intention of demilitarising and "de-Nazifying" the country, and said that his hand was forced as a result of the expansion of NATO in the region and Ukraine's wish to become a member of the Western alliance. The latest update is that Putin has placed his country's nuclear warheads on high alert due to the continuing conflict and more than a million people have fled Ukraine for their safety. Tragically, the casualties on both sides of this war are high with an estimated 20,000 people wounded, 2,700 Ukrainian soldiers captured, and over 3,300 civilians killed.
A large number of companies in the video game industry have responded to the distressing events occurring in Eastern Europe and Riot Games now joins their ranks. "The war in Ukraine has caused an expanding humanitarian crisis. Since it began, we’ve heard from players around the world that they want to help—and so do we," said Riot Games in an announcement today. "From March 5 to March 12 all proceeds from battle pass sales for Valorant, Legends of Runeterra, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift, as well as the new Bee skin line in League of Legends, will be donated to support humanitarian relief efforts in the region." Moreover, Riot Games will be donating $1 million to the International Medical Corps, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders and the Polish Red Cross in order to support these organisations' work to address the suffering in Ukraine and surrounding areas where refugees have escaped the war.
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Find a list of every video game developer acting to support those affected in Ukraine here.
Featured Image Credit: Riot GamesTopics: League Of Legends, PC