eSports organizations all around the world have voiced their support for Ukraine online in the wake of the Russian invasion.
A screen shows a live image of the Dota 2 eSports Best of 3 match between team PSG.LGD and team Liquid during the International Dota 2 Championships in Shanghai on August 25, 2019.
According to DoteSports, the aforementioned ESports organizations have gone to Twitter to condemn Russia's actions against Ukraine, all of their messages longing for peace within the region. Among them include G2 eSports, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Astralis Counter-Strike.
All of the tweets from the organizations are stylized in the Ukrainian national flag's colors, with their emblem in the middle of the field. They're also using the hashtag #StandWithUkraine:
Aside from the organizations, a few members of the professional gaming community have also voiced their support for the embattled nation. Among these is Victor "Nazgul" Goossens, Team Liquid's founder and co-CEO. In a tweet, Goossens mentioned that Team Liquid would open up their apartments in the Netherlands to a "non-Liquid player" who can't travel home to their country, as well as other friends or colleagues who might need assistance:
Lastly, the Natus Vincere eSports team has shared a link to a website where people could contribute whatever funds they can to the Ukrainian army if they wish:
These messages of support have come after reports of an alleged "full-scale" Russian invasion surfaced, shortly after President Vladimir Putin made his desire to invade very clear in a recent speech. Before the military operations, relations between the Kremlin and the Ukrainian government had noticeably soured during the past few years. Putin even considered the post-USSR nation "not a real country" (Vox).
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 22, 2022: Russia's President Vladimir Putin gives comments to the media after a ceremony to sign a declaration on allied cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan at Moscow's Kremlin.
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Ukrainian ESports Pros Give Updates On The Situation
Professional "CS: GO" player Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev, who hails from Ukraine, is one of many pro gamers who has been in the middle of the crisis from day one. He has been tweeting updates on the current situation, and most of his messages aren't good:
In one of the tweets, he mentioned that his city is "being shelled" by artillery rounds. In another tweet, he basically pleaded for all the violence to stop and called for peace.
IGN reports that the global eSports community has now sent messages of support to the terrified "CS: GO" pro and other members of the community who are caught in the crossfire.
For the unaware, Ukraine's ESports reputation is quite well-known within the gaming community. This is mainly due to its decision to officially recognize ESports as an actual sport (as reported by Win.gg). Since the decision, the country has been producing a lot of excellent professional gamers, mostly in the "Counter-Strike" circuit.
Among the biggest eSports teams, there is Natus Vincere, aka NaVi. The team is well-known for its constant success in DOTA 2 tournaments, including a win at the 2011 edition of The International. They've also been quite successful in "CS: GO"--a game widely considered the most popular ESports title in Ukraine.
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Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce