If you don’t know what’s been happening with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over the past week… well, I urge you to look it up, because you shouldn’t be getting the lowdown from a Nintendo news site. But as with all tragic conflicts, the various interweaving threads of society end up inextricably tangled in some manner, whether massive or minute — as is the case with the Nintendo eShop in Russia, which has currently suspended payments. A statement on Nintendo of Russia’s site (put through DeepL Translation) reads as follows:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Nintendo eShop
Due to the fact that the payment service used by Nintendo eShop has stopped processing payments in rubles, Nintendo eShop in Russia temporarily switched to maintenance mode.
We apologize for the inconvenience. We will share news as the situation develops.
It sounds like whatever payment service Nintendo utilizes for the eShop is to blame for the suspension rather than the company itself, part of the broader force of sanctions imposed upon Russia’s economy in the wake of their invasion of Ukraine. Other companies like Microsoft have (temporarily) pulled out of the Russian market entirely, so Nintendo may have had some decision in the matter, though their phrasing implies their hands are tied. We’ll share further news as it develops.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
