Pokemon Go downloads have been suspended in Russia and Belarus, and gameplay will be halted too.
Earlier today on March 11, Pokemon Go developer Niantic announced that it had already halted downloads for the mobile game throughout Russia and Belarus. Additionally, Niantic announced that gameplay for Pokemon Go would also be suspended at some point in the near future, though it's not entirely clear what the timeline for that change will be.
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.March 11, 2022
Niantic's statement is explicitly in support of Ukraine in the face of the ongoing Russian invasion. The company is the latest to suspend downloads of their game in both Belarus and Russia, as last week, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt announced that they'd be suspending not only all digital sales of the two games throughout the two nations, but also the GOG storefront.
- Pokemon reaches settlement in lawsuit over mobile game "Pocket Monster: Remake," operators "sincerely apologize" and say they've "learned our lessons"
- Marvel Snap is also down due to today in a "surprise" bit of collateral damage amid the TikTok ban, probably because they're both owned by the same company
Not a day later, Gran Turismo 7 was quietly pulled from sale for Russian customers on the PlayStation Network. Unlike CD Projekt and Niantic however, Sony never formally stated that they'd be suspending sales of the new racing game throughout Russia, but a few days later, the company officially suspended all game and hardware sales throughout Russia. Nintendo has also suspended all shipments to Russia, citing logistical "volatility."
If you want to help the people of Ukraine, consider donating to The Ukrainian Red Cross, which is providing vital aid on the ground; Doctors Without Borders, which is working with local volunteers and healthcare professionals; and The Kyiv Independent, a Ukraine-based English-language newspaper which is keeping the world informed on what's happening on the ground.
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