New World is a popular game at the time of its launching but by the time it has grown increasingly controversial. Again the game is in the spotlight as Amazon joins the companies which are taking a stand against the conflict. Amazon has suspended the in-progress Russian version of the New World in protest of Russia’s actions.
In an interview with TechRadar gaming, Christoph Hartmann Vice President of Amazon Games confirmed that the company has stopped development on the Russian localization of New World. Amazon is one of the largest companies that has suspended activity in Russia to protest the invasion of Ukraine.
Hartmann stated very clearly in the interview that the localization of the New World had been suspended because of the war. However, it’s not clear if Amazon will suspend other elements of its many services within Russia in the future or other games such as Lost Ark, which has been playable in Russia since 2019. Some other companies have already taken drastic action to make their positions against the conflict clear.
One of the best tech giants Apple has stopped selling its product in Russia to put pressure on Russia to stop the attack on Ukraine. Development on Stalker 2:Heart of Chernobyl has been completely stopped by its Ukrainian developer, Kyiv-based GSC Game World until the war is over. Till then GSC Game World reports that it is focused on the safety of its employees and their families. Microsoft has also announced plans to suspend all new sales in Russia, including sales of Xbox units, that might have more wide-reaching consequences than halting the localization of a single game, even New World.
Recently the Pokemon Company in a statement announce its support of Ukraine and a significant donation to help people during the war. CD Projekt Red, based in Poland has also announced plans to halt sales of Cyberpunk 2077 & Witcher games in Russia & Belarus. Actions taken by the giants of the gaming industry might not be enough to end the war however they make it clear that Ukraine has a lot of support from the world.
