What if I just have Russia and Ukraine have different names and borders and say that this is an alternate version of Earth where is has always been like that?

Why stop there? What status are you going to give Chinese-occupied Tibet in the year 2100? Are you taking a position on the Israel/Palestine occupation? I suspect that with this kind of topic the only winning move is not to play. Just make up fake countries, and focus on the gameplay.

1992: if people dislike a country, they put them into the game as enemies and/or playable character for sure

2022: if people dislike a country, they will not put it to the game

In my previous reply in this thread, I suggested avoiding real-world goings-on. How about the other direction? Embrace the news.

Have restaurants in Ukraine. Blow them up with Russian missiles.

Have restaurants in Russia. Have soldiers come in and haul off young adult customers to conscript them into the military.

In American restaurants, have wackos with assault rifles come in and shoot the customers and staff.

@BradleyAuerbach I think it's totally fine. Unless you are taking sides and politically supporting one or the other. The fact is there is a country called Russia and a country called Ukraine. Mentioning either means nothing. You still include the US when they are in the middle east etc. War is always going on.

It's a game that has no real impact in the end.

@Tom Sloper The only “combat”-type behavior I will have is sabotage that doesn't involve weapons, such as installing monitoring devices, putting flies in soup (really!), messing with equipment, or even starting fires.

No, why should it be?

Geri said:

By the time you finish the game, the war will be probably over. Then you can adjust the maps.

Likely true,

• Then there will be another war that will be equally if not more divisive.
• I wouldn't worry about it. It's not like your game will be boycotted for how it represents countries.