Striving for peace in Ukraine is proving to be costly for the gaming industry.
Microsoft, Take-Two, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, and many more have halted sales in the country – while Twitch blocking Russian streamers from receiving income has killed another revenue stream.
IDG estimates that 2021 gaming revenue in Russia generated US$3.4 billion (A$6.4 billion) last year, the bulk of this stemming from mobile gaming, worth US$1.4 billion annually.
PC gaming is worth US$1.2 million, with console revenue US$864 million, including US$549 million in digital sales.
Russia accounts for 6 per cent of gaming spend in Europe, and is the 15th biggest market in the world.
While these sanctions are noble, many of these companies are public, meaning that shareholders may not be so willing to cut off billions in profit, especially when gaming makes up less than 1 per cent of Russian retail spending.
