Ubisoft is based in France, but maintains a sizable presence in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, which is home to one of its largest studios. With the city under increasing threat from the Russian invasion that began last week, Ubisoft has revealed more about the steps it's taking to support and aid its employees and Ukrainians as a whole.
"Over the past months, Ubisoft has been closely monitoring the situation, and our primary focus has been the security of our teams," Ubisoft said in an post on its website. "As events escalated in mid-February, Ubisoft recommended all teams take shelter in a place they considered safe. To support them as they made these difficult decisions, each team member was provided additional funds to help cover exceptional costs and paid their salary in advance to account for any potential disruption to banking systems."
Since the beginning of the invasion, "when the unthinkable became a reality," Ubisoft has taken more direct steps to help its employees escape the fighting, including setting up "alternative housing in neighboring countries" and readying dedicated hotlines and an emergency communications system for all employees.
Ubisoft is one of many game companies, major studios and indies alike, who are throwing their support behind Ukraine as it continues to defend against the Russian invasion. THQ parent company Embracer Group recently pledged $1 million to various charities to support humanitarian aid in Ukraine, while 11 Bit Studios announced that its fundraising effort through sales of This War of Mine have now surpassed $715,000.
Ubisoft has also donated €200,000 ($223,000) to the Ukrainian Red Cross and Save the Children, "to help meet the urgent needs of the Ukrainian population."
