Two days ago, Kojima Productions announced they would begin charity event to help Ukrainian refugees in Japan by selling charms that are futuristic peace symbols. The charm, named “LUDENS PEACE MARK UNIT”, is selling for 40 USD, or 5,000 YEN, and all proceeds will go towards Ukrainian refugees who had to flee from their homeland to Japan due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The charm is advertised to be attached to necklaces; however, the charm “comes with a strap hole and a strap so you can attach it to your car or house keys, bags, pouches, etc.” If one were to pre-order the charm now, Kojima Productions estimates the orders will begin shipping in September.
This move by Kojima Productions comes several months after many other companies, like CD Projekt Red and others, have publicly condemned the actions of the Russian government. However, it is certainly unsurprising that Hideo Kojima wants to support Ukrainian refugees as Kojima is overtly anti-war, especially seen in the Metal Gear Solid series. For instance, some fans theorize that MGS V: The Phantom Pain‘s Nuclear Disarmament Event is purposefully impossible to complete to illustrate to players how difficult it would be for a safer, “nuke-free” world.
While late, Kojima raising charity money for Ukrainian refugees, his company joins the likes of Epic Games and Microsoft, which have both raised whopping $144 million in aid. Additionally, Humble Bumble did something similar to Kojima’s charity event, where all proceeds went towards Ukrainian refugees, totaling to $20.7 million. For Ukrainian video game developers, most have preserved against the invasion; however, they still wish for more help amidst the ongoing conflict.