After mysteriously delaying the digital launch of Gran Turismo 7 to the Russian market at the last moment, Sony has now confirmed that the title — along with all other Sony services and products — is suspended from sale in the country.
In a statement provided across its social media channels, Sony stated that it had suspended all software and hardware shipment to Russia, as well as ceasing operations of its local PlayStation Store. Gran Turismo 7 is also specifically mentioned, likely due to the confusion of its disappearance from the PS Store.
The move is clearly a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the Sony statement calling for peace in the conflict which has seen Russian land, sea, and air forces engaged in further incursions into the country, following the 2014 annexing of Crimea, since February 24.
It’s a war which has resulted in some two million refugees so far, as civilians flee Ukraine towards Poland, as well as Hungary, Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia. Sony has also pledged a $2m donation to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Save the Children, as the refugee crisis deepens.
Sony is far from the only entertainment company to take action to prevent its products and services from reaching Russia. It joins Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take Two, Epic, CD Projekt Red, and Activision Blizzard in suspending operations in the country.
Meanwhile Nintendo’s eShop is in “maintenance mode”, citing its inability to process purchases in rubles — likely due to international sanctions on trading in the currency — while Steam is effectively unavailable due to Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal all suspending Russian services. However neither brand has officially taken similar action yet.
Indeed many of the world’s major brands — from Ford and Ferrari to McDonald’s and Coca-Cola — have come together in an unprecedented manner to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine and call for a end to hostilities.
