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‘We must stand with those suffering’
Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar publisher Games Workshop announced Wednesday that it is suspending all sales of Warhammer products into Russia. The announcement comes nearly three weeks after that country’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of its neighbor, Ukraine.
“We are terribly saddened by the horrific events taking place in Ukraine,” the British company wrote in a statement on its official community website. “Our heartfelt thoughts go out to all those affected by Russia’s actions. In light of this, Games Workshop is suspending all sales of Warhammer products into Russia. We didn’t take this decision lightly. We know that there are many Russian hobbyists who don’t condone the war. Yet, we must stand with those suffering.”
Games Workshop’s main line of business is miniatures wargaming, which is supported by the sales of plastic model kits and supplementary rules material. Its lines include 40K and AoS mentioned above, but also Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game (based on the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films), Necromunda, Adeptus Titanicus, and many other related sub-franchises. The company has had an incredible run of success since 2019, with many players returning to the hobby or trying it for the first time while stuck at home during the global pandemic.
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The company’s 2021 annual report noted that it was doubling down on both the Russian and Chinese markets, and adding additional translation staff in the first half of 2022. It’s unclear how those positions will be impacted by this move. No mention was made about sales in Belarus, a country which has aided Russian aggression in Ukraine. When Polygon reached out to Games Workshop for additional comment we were directed back to the statement posted on the website.
Many gaming companies around the world have already made similar decisions to leave the Russian and Belarussian markets, among them Sony, Microsoft, and Electronic Arts.
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