Hideo Kojima’s game company sells merch to support Ukrainian refugees

Hideo Kojima’s game development company, Kojima Productions, has started selling merchandise themed around its Ludens mascot to support Ukrainian refugees in Japan.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected countless lives and industries since it began in late February this year, including many at the heart of the video game industry.

As such, development studios and influencers across the space have shown their support for Ukraine in various ways, by hosting charity events or signal boosting the invasion to bring more awareness to the situation.

Now, Hideo Kojima is aiding Ukrainian refugees through his game development company by selling exclusive merch where proceeds will go to refugees who evacuated to Japan.

Kojima Productions merch supports Ukrainian refugees

Kojima Productions announced the project via Twitter on June 20 and provided information surrounding the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and Ukrainian refugees.

The following day, Kojima Productions tweeted the merch project called the “Ludens Peace Mark Unit” and updated the studio’s Ludens statue to represent the project.

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The Ludens Peace Mark Unit is an “original charm made of duralumin featuring the peace mark-shaped buckle of ‘Ludens,’ the symbolic character of Kojima Productions.”

The charm, which comes with an attachable strap, costs $40 USD, with all proceeds from its sale being donated to Ukrainian refugees who’ve relocated to Japan.

The pre-order page for the charm states the product will ship sometime in August, and that pre-orders will be open until the reserved quantity of stock is reached.

Those interested in pre-ordering the charm can reach Kojima Production’s store page here, which details the charm’s dimensions and accessories as well.

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Kojima’s efforts to support refugees from the Russian invasion certainly make sense, considering the Metal Gear franchise features anti-war themes across the entire series.

Hopefully, this charity project proves to be another effective and impactful way gamers can help aid Ukraine during this tumultuous time.