Supercell’s Ban: The Sanction That Hit Russians the Hardest

During the war in Ukraine, there has been much discussion within the EU about boycotts directed against Russia. Unfortunately, the measures taken have not led to the paralysis of the aggressor or to citizen protests capable of toppling the government.

However, today, it was revealed which EU action has hit Russians the hardest. The chairman of the Russian Esports Federation, Dmitry Smith, stated that the "biggest blow of all" came from an announcement by Supercell, the company known for its numerous hit games.

According to him, competitions in the game Clash Royale had been organized in Russia for several years. However, after the invasion of Ukraine, Supercell banned Russians from using their game.

The company had also immediately condemned Russia’s invasion in the spring of 2022. Additionally, it removed its games from Russian and Belarusian app stores and, in the spring of 2023, blocked Russian and Belarusian players from accessing its games.

As a result of Supercell’s ban, the representatives of Russian players have launched assessment processes, as, according to the Russian constitution, every athlete "has the right to engage in sports that should be publicly available." They have also held discussions with the Duma (Russian parliament) and the relevant committee, which believe that major esports titles should be publicly accessible rather than entirely under corporate control.

Nevertheless, Supercell has reaffirmed that the restrictions on Russians and Belarusians remain in place as long as the war continues. One can only hope that this gaming ban will eventually lead to such an uprising among game-hungry Russians that Putin’s administration will be forced to withdraw from Ukraine to appease them.

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