Gaming for Good: how Fortnite championed sustainability

Charities are increasingly using Gaming for Good initiatives to link up with gamers to raise funds and promote good causes.

 

This is often through staging live steaming events on popular gaming platforms, such as YouTube and Twitch. Gaming for Good #sees charities work closely with influencers and game developers to maximise fundraising.

 

Gaming for Good is proving popular among young, socially-conscious gamers who are keen to use their influence and skills to support good causes.

 

 

Fortnite’s popularity

 

Among the most popular games for such Gaming for Good link ups is Fortnite, the team-based survival game that is played globally.

 

This game sees a player flown to an open world where they combine survival and shooting skills, as well as construct ways to evade other competitors.

 

It is free to play and offers gamers a range of in-app purchases.

 

Since it launched in 2017 its user base has increased from 20 to 350 million, to make it one of the most played games in the world. During August 2021 alone, streams of the game attracted 66 million viewer hours on Twitch.

 

 

The net-zero Fortnite tournament

 

During August 2021 a major Fortnite Gaming for Good event took place to promote issues around sustainability, as well as to encourage participants to pursue an interest and career in technology.

 

The event was organised through a partnership between e-sports firm Guild, which is co-owned by David Beckham, and the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET).

 

Through the partnership Guild supported IET’s Difference Makers campaign to promote sustainability.

 

During the Fortnite tournament players were encouraged to chop down as many trees as they could. Meanwhile, a ‘tree-o-meter’ tracked progress and through the Difference Makers campaign, real trees will be planted to replace all the virtual trees felled during the game.

 

Among those taking part were top Fortnite players, including gaming influencer Henrik ‘Hen’ McLean, who is just 15 years old and has earned around £200,000 taking part in Fortnite tournaments.

 

Also taking part were students and content creators, such as Gee Nelly and TN25.

 

The event was streamed live on Guild’s Twitch channel in late August 2021 and during the event competitors were also encouraged to chat about how their love of gaming can be a gateway to studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

 

Through the event a total of 557 trees will be replanted, with Guild proudly declaring after the event that all those involved are now “STEM superstars and tree parents now”.

 

In addition, all the electricity that was used during the event was offset, making it the world’s first zero carbon Fortnite tournament.

 

“The future scientists, technicians, engineers, and geeks who might one day save the world are likely to be found today – in front of their consoles,” said IET President Professor Danielle George.

 

Guild Director of Partnerships Michelle Tierney added: “The Difference Makers campaign not only demonstrates that gaming can be green, it also shows us how the visionaries of the world can be found in unexpected places.

 

“As an e-sports organisation, co-owned by David Beckham, we understand the importance of an academy structure and the educational benefits for young people as they’re developing.

 

“We’re proud to be educating the next generation with the skills to understand the critical importance of sustainability for our future.”

 

 

Deforestation

 

Increasing deforestation in recent years has shown the vital need for environmental campaigns, such as the Difference Makers’ Fortnite event.

 

According to the campaign, between 2000 and 2015 around 17% of tree loss in the Amazon happened in protected areas that are home to local people.

 

Over the next decade if nothing changes indigenous people in the Amazon are set to lose 4.4 million hectares of rainforest. “Just to put that into perspective, two and a half football pitches make up one hectare,” added Difference Makers.