Minecraft is one of the most popular survival games ever made. It gives players the freedom to play any way they want to. They can either build the structures they desire, or they can simply play it as a survival game and survive each day as it comes. Gamers prefer building stuff in this game more than in the other modes.
World of Tanks is another game that allows for such freedom. While it does not allow gamers to build complete levels, there is some level of customization here. But sometimes gamers take their freedom of expression and ability to customize to a whole new level. Just like some gamers who decided that Minecraft and World of Tanks would now allegedly be centers of Russian propaganda.
Some gamers are using Minecraft and World of Tanks to spread Russian propaganda
It’s an unusual thing. Imagine a game that invites you and allows you to use that world to create whatever you want. You can build massive buildings; if you have ever seen Game of Thrones, you can create the Red Keep from that series in Minecraft. It’s a fun game that’s basically digital Lego.
But some gamers are so creative that they find other ways to use this freedom. Let’s take, for example, a bunch of Russian gamers who decided to recreate a battle scene in Minecraft. Yes, indeed, they simply started Minecraft one day and decided people needed to know about how Russia captured Soledar back in January 2023.
Soledar is a city in Ukraine, and the battle that happened there went Russia’s way. And these fans found a way to immortalize that moment in Minecraft. A stroke of creativity indeed. Who would have thought Minecraft could be used for recreating real-life battles? There’s even a Minecraft video tutorial displaying a Russian flag with the text “Glory to Russia” written.
Then comes the World of Tanks. For those unaware, this is a game all about tanks. Players customize their tanks; they go into war using their tanks, and much more. The main pull of this game is that it’s more or less a tank-riding simulator. Those heavy controls and instrument clusters really make gamers feel like they are riding a tank.
But some gamers had something else in mind altogether; they wanted to represent one of the biggest achievements of Russia through that game. How would one go about doing that, though? They recreated a tank parade in Moscow. For those who do not understand the reference, they were celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany back in World War II.
Then comes Roblox, everybody’s favorite builder game. A game that parents leave their children with for hours and hours. Some gamers and hardcore Russian fans decided to use their highly creative minds to recreate Internal Ministry forces in order to celebrate Russia Day in-game.
What is the response of the developers, though?
While there’s been no response from the developers of Roblox, Wargaming, the studio that works on World of Tanks, has made a statement.
“Wargaming is vehement in the support of the people of Ukraine, our studio in Kyiv, and our employees there.”
Microsoft, too, has confirmed that Russians have been trying to get into Minecraft and allegedly make that game a source of Russian propaganda. It has to be seen if they ever decide to shut this down or not.
