Last week, This War of Mine developer 11 Bit Studios announced that all the games' proceeds would be going to the Ukrainian Red Cross to help those suffering amidst Russia's invasion. Jump ahead to today, and the game has raised £520,000 for just that.
"#FuckTheWar," 11 Bit Studios opened. "Your support gathered for Ukraine warms our hearts, but we still need you. Please, do not stop. Buy This War of Mine anywhere and support victims of war in Ukraine."
Proceeds are still going to help those suffering in Ukraine as Russia and now also Belarus continue their attack, bombing major cities while targeting civilian buildings such as hospitals, kindergartens, and apartment complexes. As the pressure mounts, more sanctions are being placed by allied countries, with Russian developers even losing out on paydays for their games.
"We'd like to hereby announce our company statement," 11 Bit Studios' wrote in its initial letter on Twitter. "We stand against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Just words would be empty without a meaningful act though, and the timing is crucial, so the act is as follows: for the next seven days, all profits from This War of Mine, all its DLCs, on all stores and all platforms, will go to a special fund. A week from now, this money will be donated to the Ukrainian Red Cross to directly support victims of war in Ukraine."
That day has come, and the donation is a staggering £520,000, but it seems as though 11 Bit Studios is going to keep going, donating more of the proceeds to help those in Ukraine. For context, 11 Bit Studios is a Polish developer, bordering on Belarus and Ukraine. It highlighted as much in its letter.
"Today, Russian military forces attacked the free country of Ukraine - our neighbours. As a Polish game studio and creators of the globally recognised anti-war game, This War of Mine - one that directly speaks about the suffering and misery of civilians who are affected by war - we stand against the Russian invasion of Ukraine."