Ukraine conflict turned into video game

The ongoing military conflict in Ukraine is being used as the backdrop for a new video game developed by Finnish studio Rockodile, which has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the project.

The game, titled ‘Death From Above’, is being advertised as an “easy-to-pick-up arcade drone warfare game,” which allows players to take on the role of a Ukrainian military drone operator fighting against Russian troops.

Players will be tasked with dropping bombs on Russian servicemen and equipment, salvaging “precious hardware,” such as stolen washing machines, and restoring crucial communication lines disrupted by the conflict, according to the game’s Kickstarter crowdfunding page.

The studio has vowed to donate 30% of net proceeds from Steam sales of the game to Ukrainian charities and commit a further 70% of net proceeds after the developer breaks even.

It’s noted that none of the funds raised through Kickstarter will be donated to charity and will only be used to improve and expand the game, “making it bigger and better looking.”

The game’s director, Hendrik Lesser, said ‘Death from Above’ was originally intended to be a simulation game which involved mini-games involving operating drones, transferring cargo and racing. However, the scope of the project and the team have expanded in the past six months, and the studio has also partnered up with Gis Arta – a Ukrainian developer of military software used to control and coordinate drones and artillery in combat scenarios.

The game is expected to be released on Early Access on Steam in the coming months, regardless of the results of the Kickstarter campaign, the developers said. However, those who donate to the campaign can get bonuses following the official launch.

Those who donate a minimum of €3 will unlock the ‘Mass Mobilization’ tier and receive a wallpaper that the developers hope will remind players of “the fun and excitement” they experienced in game. Those who pledge €18 will unlock the “Art of Propaganda” tier and be gifted with three caricatures of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Moscow, meanwhile, has repeatedly decried the “unprecedented level of Russophobia” detected in numerous countries amid the Ukraine conflict. In some parts of the UK, for example, hate crimes and violent assaults against Russians have more than doubled over the past year, according to a Sky News report earlier this month.