Ukrainian kids and teenagers spend millions of dollars every year on games in Steam, the most popular gaming service. It's a place to have fun, connect, and just relax. But recently, something happened that made us look at Steam in a new way, forcing us to think about very serious things.
All the fuss started when a game called Squad_22_ZOV appeared on Steam. It openly displays pro-Russian propaganda and uses the infamous "ZOV" symbols linked to the war against Ukraine. Naturally, Ukrainians were very upset. We asked Steam to remove this propaganda that glorifies war and crimes. We expected them to react quickly and delete such harmful content.
But what did Steam do? Instead of simply removing this game from sale for everyone, they chose a strange path. If Ukrainians try to access the game's page, they will see the message: "Oops, SORRY! An error was encountered while processing your request: This item is currently unavailable in your region." So, the game that supports the symbols of the invasion is simply hidden from those who are suffering from this invasion. But for the rest of the world, it seems to remain available.
This decision is simply unbelievable and very insulting. It looks like Steam cares more about avoiding problems in one region while continuing to make money in others, rather than dealing with a game that spreads dangerous propaganda. It's as if Ukrainian requests for ethical behavior during wartime were simply brushed aside by blocking the game only for us. It seems Steam loves our money, but they're not in a hurry to help us or reciprocate. Maybe it's time for Ukrainians, and indeed everyone who cares, to think about this and demand better from such large companies.
