Company of Heroes 2 sales halted in Russia

The sale of real-time strategy game Company of Heroes 2 has ceased in Russia, a Sega spokesman told VideoGamer. The decision to halt sales followed complaints about the game's depiction of the Soviet military, which were directed to 1C-SoftKlab, a Russian retailer that recently opted to stop selling the game.

"Sega and Relic are aware of the press stories circulating concerning Company of Heroes 2 and the historical context of the game from a Russian perspective," Sega said in a statement. "At this time we cannot offer any further comment, however we are taking this issue very seriously and are investigating these concerns thoroughly with all relevant partners."

Controversy surrounding Company of Heroes 2 stemmed from its portrayal of the Soviet army during World War 2, which depicts "the best of the USSR as an instantly evil thing," according to vocal detractors. A petition demanding Valve remove the game from Steam has amassed 17,160 supporters, who claim the game is an inaccurate representation of events from the war, as it shows Russian soldiers fighting without being properly equipped for battle.