Euro Truck Simulator 2 devs shelve Heart of Russia DLC over Ukraine invasion
"With so many people suffering, we decided to refrain from releasing the DLC so that it is not perceived in any way as being in support of or tolerance of the aggression"
The Euro Truck Simulator 2 Heart of Russia DLC will no longer be released following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a blog on its website, developer SCS Software explains that it doesn’t want the update to be “perceived in any way as being in support of or tolerance of the aggression”. While SCS Software tries to be apolitical as it likes the idea of people sharing a passion for truck simulation, the DLC’s ties with Russia are hard to ignore with “so many people suffering”.
While the Heart of Russia DLC is on hold for now, though, it’s not ultimately cancelled. SCS Software may release the update in the future. “We strongly believe that there is hope for the proud people of Ukraine to prevail and for the suffering to end for all,” SCS Software says. “Injustice cannot and must not win. And, when the time comes for Ukraine to rebuild and heal, then we will endeavour to find a way for our Heart of Russia DLC to play whatever part it can in that healing process, for everyone.”
SCS Software also shares that the update was six-to-eight weeks from completion earlier this year, though priorities shifted when Russia invaded Ukraine.
“With deep concern, we watched the news about the war, and we quickly realised we had to do something to help those who were suffering,” the post reads. “Immediately, we started contributing to several charities providing humanitarian aid within the territory of Ukraine and assistance to those who were evacuating.”
The developer also released the Ukrainian Paint Jobs DLC, with all the proceeds from sales going towards Ukraine. At the time of writing, more than 85,000 have been sold.
If you want to help the people of Ukraine, consider donating to The Ukrainian Red Cross, which is providing vital aid on the ground; Doctors Without Borders, a group working with local volunteers and healthcare professionals; and The Kyiv Independent, a Ukraine-based English-language newspaper which is keeping the world informed of what's happening on the ground.
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Iain joins the GamesRadar team as Deputy News Editor following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When not helping Ali run the news team, he can be found digging into communities for stories – the sillier the better. When he isn’t pillaging the depths of Final Fantasy 14 for a swanky new hat, you’ll find him amassing an army of Pokemon plushies.