When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, it quickly spread to every social media platform. Although the initial uproar eventually quieted down, it seems that Russian propaganda was quietly spreading through the unsuspecting gaming community.
Russian Propaganda in Video Games: What’s Going on?
World of Tanks Russian player base recently re-enacted the battle for Soledar, which is a city in Ukraine. This area was captured by the Russian forces back in January and the clip of this virtual recreation was spread on VKontakte, Russia’s most popular social media platform. Russians have also commemorated the 78th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany by parading tanks in Moscow in 1945.
Minecraft is by far one of the most popular games and has been beloved by many children as well. However, even the kid-friendly game was not unscathed, as the Russian flag could be seen flying over a player’s rendition of Luhansk, one of the Ukranian provinces that Russia illegally took over. With the Minecraft community primarily comprising younger children, the propaganda can have a negative impact on their well-being and spread false narratives across the globe.
In many cases, the players that sympathise with Russians adopt the letter Z, which has become a symbol for the Russian troops that invaded Ukraine last year. Video tutorials on how to construct the Russian flag in Minecraft have surfaced on YouTube, while a Roblox user created an array of Interior Ministry forces in June to celebrate the national holiday.
Propaganda Invades Gaming Communities and Discord
The community outside of just video games has also been impacted by Russian propaganda. Platforms like Steam and Discord have garnered many that support Russia’s invasion. Like-minded individuals have gathered to circulate Russian patriotism among the younger audience that uses these online services.
The propaganda shared on Discord and Steam justifies the war in Ukraine to these vulnerable groups. This was even publicly confirmed by Microsoft’s president Brad Smith who stated that its security teams had identified Russia’s efforts to enter gaming communities. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that video gaming is a great tool for promoting Russian values and patriotism.
