Game engine Unity donating $623k in Ukraine support

Game engine maker Unity is donating $623k to humanitarian charities in the wake of Russia's devastating invasion of Ukraine.

Details from the company this afternoon included plans to support relief organisations throughout the year with money from company reserves and donations from employees, which will be triple-matched by execs.

Two further initiatives will run throughout this year - a Ukraine Mega Bundle of assets donated from around the world, which will be sold with 100 percent of proceeds going to charity.

A publisher support program will also donate 100 percent of revenue from any Unity assets sold by Ukrainian companies.

Funds will be sent to the Ukraine International Medical Corps, Unicef, Nova Ukraine and the Canadian Immigrant Aid Society.

"We at Unity are devastated by the events unfolding in Ukraine," Unity exec and games industry veteran Peter Moore said today. "We are doing everything we can to lend our support and ask you consider doing the same."

Across the games industry, companies have responded with large donations to humanitarian organisations, and support for staff based in Ukraine.

However, Ukraine itself has now asked the video games industry to do more. The country's deputy prime minister penned an open letter "to all game development companies and esports platforms" calling for them to block Russian and Belarusian accounts, cancel tournaments and ban players to pile more pressure on Russia.