Fortnite raised $144 million for Ukraine relief – how the money is being spent
Epic Games and Microsoft cite five charities that will benefit from the $144 million raised by the Fortnite community
Taking the title Fortnite: Save the World literally, the Fortnite community has raised $144 million for Ukraine humanitarian relief in just two weeks, with Epic Games and Microsoft Xbox donating all net proceeds from the popular online game.
This two-week Fortnite fundraiser started on March 20 and ended yesterday, April 3, and it kicked off with some big activity: $36 million raised in the first 24 hours, noted the official Fortnite Twitter account. The 2017 game is available on PC and macOS, as well as last-gen consoles and mobile devices. It most recently launched with the PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2020, though many of you weren’t able to play on either console due to the PS5 restock and Xbox Series X restock shortages. So far, Fortnite is not supported on Steamdeck.
The current Fortnite season, Chapter 3 Season 2: Resistance, suspended the ability to build (a key mechanic within the Fortnite universe) – thankfully it was a temporary change. Even before it was restored, gamers were still active enough to build quite a lump sum to donate to people affected by the ongoing Ukraine war.
Where is the Fortnite $144 million going?
Epic Games and Xbox are directing the $144 million at charities to benefit the people affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Epic Games has named the five charities that will make use of the donated Fortnite money (I’ve added context to each):
Direct Relief: a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief and equips doctors and nurses with life-saving medical resources.
UNICEF: a child-focused charity that has been on the ground since 2014 but has significantly scaled up its emergency operations since February 24, 2022, citing the grave risk faced by Ukraine’s 7.5 million children.
World Food Program: the world’s largest humanitarian organization that’s also part of the UN. It aims to reach more than three million children caught up in the conflict and in desperate need of food and resources.
UNHCR: with the war in Ukraine uprooting over 10 million people, this UN agency is on the ground to help refugees suddenly without a home.
World Central Kitchen: WCK is providing 300,000 daily meals to people in more than 30 cities in Ukraine. It’s also delivering thousands of tons of food and supplies by truck and train.
Epic Games, through the official Fortnite Twitter account, thanked gamers for helping raise the $144 million and supporting these charities.
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