US sanctions against Russia mean no World of Warcraft or Hearthstone for Crimea
Russia’s annexation of Crimea was considered to be an illegal action by the United Nations, and the allegations of Russian involvement in conflicts within Ukraine over the last year have only made matters worse. Rather than threatening military action against a former superpower who still has access to nuclear weapons, the U.S. and other countries enacted trade sanctions against Russia, severely limiting the country’s ability to do business with Western nations.
Obviously, the intended impact of these sanctions revolves around important industries, such as oil, food and manufactured goods, but it appears that they also affect an unexpected product: video games.
Specifically, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. has removed the ability for Crimean users to log into its games, including World of Warcraft, Diablo III, StarCraft and Hearthstone.
“You are receiving this email because, in accordance with current trade regulations relating to the region of Crimea, we are legally required to suspend access to your Battle.net account,” a notice from Blizzard told Crimean players. “Any recurring subscription payment will be cancelled. We are sincerely sorry that you’re being impacted in this way; if the situation changes, we will happily do our best to restore access to your account.”
Blizzard is not the first game company to cease operations in Crimea, as Valve Corp. made a similar decision earlier this year. Other Western companies have also left the region, including Google, Apple and many others.
“These actions, in close coordination with our EU and international partners, send a strong message to the Russian government that there are consequences for their actions that threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement last year. “The United States, together with international partners, will continue to stand by the Ukrainian government until Russia abides by its international obligations.”
While missing out on a few card battles or weekly raids may not sound like a big deal, Blizzard’s actions show just how far these sanctions can affect even trivial parts of an average citizen’s daily life in Crimea.
Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment, World of Warcraft, screenshot by Kyt Dotson
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