Occasionally, in times of crisis, gaming studios and publishers have worked to raise funds for people in dire need of humanitarian aid. Last year, for instance, Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red contributed to a fund for victims of the war in Ukraine, and Fortnite publisher Epic Games funneled the proceeds of all purchases made in the popular battle royale for a two-week period to humanitarian relief for the region as well. Now, Cult of the Lamb publisher Devolver Digital is donating funds to aid Palestinians affected by Israel’s attacks on Gaza, and it is encouraging others to follow suit.
On October 18, Devolver Digital announced that it was supporting relief efforts in Gaza on its official Twitter account, saying:
We’ve donated to United Nations Relief and Works Agency who are providing humanitarian aid to Palestinian families, we ask you to consider donating if you’re able.
While much of the gaming industry has thus far remained silent on recent events in Israel and Palestine, Game Developer notes that the organization Work with Indies has pledged to donate 100 percent of its October revenue to relief organizations like Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and World Food Program. Meanwhile, Oak Grove Games founder Esther Wallace is working on an itch.io-based Games For Gaza bundle benefitting Medical Aid For Palestinians.
As protests and rallies in support of Palestinians continue around the world, many others are also raising money for relief efforts. Political commentator and occasional gamer Hasan “Hasanabi” Piker and his Twitch community have raised over a million dollars to help Palestinians in less than a week. Hopefully, other companies will follow Devolver Digital in issuing their own call to action.
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