Play for Ukraine: wargaming as a resistance pleasure

Abstract

This contribution addresses the significance of information and gaming technologies, particularly in the context of Ukrainian military resistance to the 2022 Russian invasion. Drawing on the case of the Play for Ukraine game developed by Ukrainian IT specialists, which involves launching attacks on websites purportedly serving the Russian army, this study examines how players effectively become digital soldiers through concealed Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on Russian websites. While wargames have traditionally been recognised as integral to contemporary techno-politics and military education, this analysis argues that they can also serve as instruments of war resistance in cyberspace. By employing a science and technology studies (STS) perspective, this article explores the wargame as an active actor in sociotechnical relations. Through critical discourse analysis of Play for Ukraine social media accounts and media coverage, it delves into how wargames are embedded within war resistance practices, extending their impact beyond mere leisure and pleasure into realms of significant sociopolitical engagement.