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On the 24th of February, Russia invaded Ukraine. This, in a span of two months, has led to the displacement of over 4.2 million people. This humanitarian crisis has attracted the attention of multinational corporations, including Epic Games, who in conjunction with Microsoft Xbox, announced their plan to run a fundraiser in support of the refugees.
The Background of Fortnite.
Fortnite Battle Royale is a world-leading gaming platform that was first created in 2011 by Epic Games. It was later released in September 2017. The game is a combination of Left Dead and Minecraft.
A hundred players skydive on an island in the game and rummage for survival gear. Players have the option to play alone, in duos, trios, or squads. The play area gradually compresses as the game progresses, giving the players less room to survive. The last player or team to endure the growing hardships wins the match. Players can download the game on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.
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As the humanitarian campaign started, many Fortnite users had a couple of questions. In a bid to make the humanitarian relief smooth and transparent, Fortnite answered frequently asked questions as follows:
Will the Creators Funds Be Affected?
The simple answer is no. During the two weeks campaign to raise funds for relief, Epic creators continued to receive the payment as per usual. Epic Games came up with a separate affiliate program that paid its creators via code.
What Purchases Count in the Humanitarian Campaign?
All actual money purchases made within the two weeks were used in the fundraising. This includes gifted Battle Passes, V-Buck packs, Fortnite Crew, cosmetic packs such as the Voilander pack sold for real money. Funds collected from redeemed V-buck cards and in-store cosmetics that were purchased at retail stores within the two weeks were also included.
Will Subscriptions Be Included in the Proceeds?
Yes, they will. All the funds from existing subscriptions were used to support the campaign. Any new, re-activated subscriptions made within the 20th of March 2022 – 3rd of April 2022 were also included in the relief funds.
Do the Supporters Get To Choose Which Organization Receives Their Funds?
To avoid confusion during the campaign, fans were not granted the luxury to choose which organization received their donation. After all donations were made, it was up to the logistics team at Fortnite to distribute the funds accordingly.
Do All Players Have To Support the Humanitarian Campaign?
During the two weeks campaign, Fortnite players had the choice of whether or not to support the cause. Epic Games advised all players who were not ready to support the cause not to make any purchases during the two weeks when the program was running.
The campaign aligned with the release of new battle features in March. During this season, many players were purchasing V-Bucks to unlock the latest features in the game. Battle Royale on Fortnite alone has over 350 million players spread all over the world. The game is readily available online and free to download. Epic Games make a profit from players’ purchase of dance moves for the avatars, costumes for the avatars as well as tournaments.
Many game developers have created a united front in providing humanitarian support since Russia invaded Ukraine. For instance, League of Legends was able to raise $5.4 million, while Humble Bundle achieved an extra $20 million. On the first day, Epic Games was able to raise $36 million. They gave the money to Direct Relief, UN World Food Program, Chef Joses’ World Food Kitchen Organization, and United Nations High Commission for Refugees. By Monday morning World Food Program had reached more than a million people with cash and food assistance.
During this challenging time, Ukraine has witnessed a mass exodus as over 4.2 million refugees have fled the country, and more than 6.5 million citizens have been displaced. The Russian invasion will have pernicious effects on not only the Ukrainian economy but also other countries that benefit from the oil supply from Russia.
