World Of Tanks Dev Calls On Fans To Help Buy Ambulances For Ukraine With New Charity Bundles

Wargaming, the company behind games like World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, has launched a cross-game charity project to benefit Ukraine, with proceeds from special Ukraine-themed bundles going towards purchasing new ambulances for Ukrainian medics.

In partnership with United24, Ukraine's official fundraising platform founded in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, players across all six of Wargaming's titles--World of Tanks PC, World of Tanks Blitz, World of Tanks: Modern Armor, World of Warships, World of Warships: Legends, and World of Warplanes--are now able to purchase unique Ukraine-themed customization bundles. Many of the bundles include items crafted by developers at Wargaming's Kyiv, Ukraine studio, the studio behind World of Warplanes.

"Here at Wargaming, we love war games, but we hate war," a Wargaming statement on the charity project's website reads. "This is a particularly sensitive subject for us, as we have a whole studio in Kyiv that continues to work hard to deliver features and events to World of Tanks despite the horrors their country is living through every day."

The bundles include things like in-game currencies and boosts, but also special camos, emblems, paint jobs, and other cosmetics invoking the national colors and symbols of Ukraine. The initiative runs from now until November 1, and more than 25,000 bundles have been sold as of writing, according to a tracker on the fundraising campaign's website. All proceeds from the sold bundles will go directly to United24 to help purchase Type C ambulances that will help Ukrainian medics save lives.

Type C Ambulances, according to the charity website, are "highly specialized" vehicles equipped with defibrillators, cardiac monitors, oxygen tanks, and lung ventilator devices that help keep injured victims alive until they can reach an operating room. "Each ambulance funded will mean hundreds of lives saved," according to the website.

It's not Wargaming's first charity campaign for Ukraine. The company donated $1 million to the Ukrainian Red Cross shortly after Russia's invasion, and Wargaming notes that hundreds of employees have collectively raised more than 200,000 Euros to contribute towards the purchase of the needed ambulances. Wargaming additionally has helped provide its Ukraine-based developers with alternate housing, early salary payments, and additional funds for relocation.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Wargaming ceased its business operations in Russia and Belarus and closed its Belarus studio. A creative director at the company was fired last year for endorsing Russia's invasion on social media, with Wargaming stating the ex-employee's opinion "categorically does not reflect the position of the company."

Many in the game-development world have rallied to aid Ukraine in its war for survival. Last year, Fortnite developer Epic Games, in partnership with Xbox, raised $144 million to aid various humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. More recently, World of Warcraft players raised $1.5 million for Ukrainian relief efforts by purchasing a unique Ukraine-themed pet bundle.