- Video games are becoming the new frontier of Russia's information war, a new report from The New York Times found.
- Users of multiple kids' games, including Roblox and Minecraft, are creating worlds full of Russian propaganda.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin recently expressed interest in the potential of video games to spread "patriotism."
Russia is setting its sights on a new medium to push propaganda about its invasion of Ukraine: video games.
First-person, interactive games like Roblox — increasingly becoming popular in Russia and a source of online fascist content, according to a report from Wired — and Minecraft are the new breeding ground to showcase Kremlin values and talking points, according to a new report from The New York Times.
The games allow users to design their own worlds, and some have taken the opportunity to construct Russian parades, declare "Glory to Russia," or depict Russian flags over territory taken from Ukraine during the war, the Times report found.
A spokesperson for Roblox told Insider in a statement that this type of content violates their guidelines and have a "dedicated team of thousands" who act on reports submitted by users.
"We work tirelessly to maintain a platform that is safe, civil and inclusive and we have strict Community Standards, which prohibit the portrayal of real-world sensitive events," a spokesperson for Roblox told Insider in a statement. "We are committed to removing this type of content as soon as possible, and we use a combination of manual and automated detection tools to remove such experiences swiftly. We also encourage anyone to report content or behavior that may not comply with our Community Standards by using our Report Abuse feature."
The use of video games to spread propaganda underscores just how sprawling the Russian information machine has become online. Within Russia, the state has clamped down on any information that opposes the war and constantly pushes out large amounts of misinformation, Insider previously reported.
The Times identified multiple instances of Russian propaganda in video games including at least one that also appeared to be influenced by a government official. In one instance, a Minecraft concert celebrating Russia Day was hosted and streamed by an official whose mother is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
And according to a recent statement from Putin, video games have become a focal point to promote education "within the framework of universal human values and within the framework of patriotism," Putin said during a recent meeting with a nonprofit organization in Russia.
Other games that have been used to promote Russian interests include Russia's version of World of Tanks and World of Warships, Fly Corp, Armored Warfare, and War Thunder, researchers at Molfar, a Ukrainian open-source analytical company, told the Times.
"Wargaming is vehement in the support of the people of Ukraine, our studio in Kyiv, and our employees there," Alex Brewer-Disarufino, a spokesman for Wargaming, the company behind World of Tanks and World of Warships, told the Times. The company split away its Russian versions of the games last year and stopped operating in Russia and Belarus, according to the company. According to Wargaming, "Effective March 31 the company transferred its live games business in Russia and Belarus to local management of Lesta Studio that is no longer affiliated with Wargaming."
Experts told the Times that the Kremlin's objective in using video games to target younger players is to spread its reach to try to find those receptive to their cause.
Russia isn't the only country to utilize the power of video games to help its cause. Insider reported in 2020 about how the US Army found successes using online games and forums to help recruit as its numbers dwindle.
The Times also identified a drone-strike simulation game, called Death From Above, created by a German developer that described it as a "propaganda game" meant to garner support for Ukraine.
Representatives for Roblox and Microsoft, which owns Minecraft, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Watch: VIDEO: How Russian media manufactured an alternate reality about the war in Ukraine
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