UFL and Strikerz Inc. addressed the community on Sunday and pleaded for a stop to the Ukraine war. However, the words they chose also drew criticism.
Neither EA SPORTS nor Konami have yet commented on the war in Ukraine via their social media channels. Strikerz Inc. was different: the UFL developer urged via Twitter and Instagram: “We must do everything possible to stop the war. “
“We should stand together for the principles of a modern and free world,” Strikerz Inc. followed up: “A war in Europe in the 21st century is a huge disaster that will critically affect European life for years to come.” However, the UFL makers do not show a clear edge, the statement is kept general.
Criticism of the statement
Strikerz Inc. calls for “peace for Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians and peace for the world”. The video game company avoids calling on Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to call off the war that has been started unilaterally – as could be read in some Bundesliga stadiums over the weekend. This already caused criticism on social networks.
“A nice message, but war is bad in every part of the world,” says user ‘MO / FIFA TALKS’ about the Europe-centric wording. ‘Kosalii Olatkin’ writes: “There is peace in Belarus and Russia, but these two countries are invading Ukraine.”
Influence on the UFL release?
The vast majority of comments, however, are concerned with the geographical location of the developer and its employees. The developer has studios in Belarus, Ukraine, Cyprus and Lithuania. Its headquarters, in turn, is in Minsk.
Fans hope that Strikerz Inc. can continue to work on UFL and that all employees are safe. The release, which had been announced for 2022, could of course be postponed.
User ‘Simone’, however, sums up the prioritisation: “Your safety comes first, no matter when the game is released.” In addition to Cristiano Ronaldo, UFL also has Manchester City’s Ukrainian Oleksandr Zinchenko as an official ambassador, and there is also a cooperation with top Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.