Niantic, the American developer behind popular titles like Pokémon Go, Ingress, and Pikmin Bloom is now taking action against Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The three above-mentioned games are no longer available for download in Russia and Belarus, and those who already have the games will soon be unable to access them, according to Niantic’s Tweet dated March 10th.
We stand with the global community in hoping for peace and a rapid resolution to the violence and suffering in Ukraine. Niantic’s games are no longer available for download in Russia and Belarus, and gameplay will also be suspended there shortly.
— Niantic 🧭 (@NianticLabs) March 11, 2022
The move from Niantic comes soon after other video game developers and publishers restricted the Russian market in some capacity. Sony announced that it is suspending the sale of its consoles and software in Russia, along with shutting down its PlayStation Store for those accessing it from the nation. Whereas EA removed all Russian club and International teams from its FIFA and NHL titles along with ceasing all sales in Russia and Belarus, including games, content and even virtual currency bundles.
Check out this roundup of all big tech/social media sanctions against Russia to read what other game developers/publishers like the Montreuil, France-based Ubisoft and the Warsaw, Poland-based CD Projekt Red are implementing.
Source: @NianticLabs