Studios and streamers unite to help save orcas
Twitch, 505 Games, and Relic Entertainment join forces with influencers in getting behind Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s first ever gaming marathon
Leading conservation charity WDC (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) is partnering with top game studios, streamers and the community to launch their first ever 24h gaming marathon in aid of orcas, kicking off on Friday 9th June at 4pm BST.
Selected as an official Twitch charity event, the Gamers for Orcas 24-hour challenge will raise vital funds to help WDC protect threatened orca populations around the world. Many orcas still live in captivity in small concrete tanks, far removed from a life of freedom where they can swim as much as 100 miles in a day, living with family in complex social groups and behaving naturally. In the wild, orcas face a number of dangers including pollution, loss of their habitats and loud man-made underwater noise.
The names of the first guest streamers taking part in the 24h marathon have been released, and include Twitch streamer and cosplayer, Staceyofgotham and e-sports star, Ksenia Klyuenkova of Team Secret as well as studios including Relic Entertainment, Sumo Digital and Codename Entertainment. To encourage donations from the community, streamers will also be giving away game codes, prizes and DLC from other Gamers for Orcas partners, including SEGA, Unknown Worlds, 11 bit studios, Auroch Digital, and Team17.
Codename Entertainment’s CEO, Eric Jordan commented: “Gamers for Orcas is another example of the way that video games can be a force for good. The event is a creative and fun way for gamers to contribute via their favourite pastime. We are honoured by our inclusion in the livestream too. It’s a chance to increase awareness on behalf of Whale and Dolphin Conservation and also provide a way for our fans to donate to such a worthy cause.”
Staceyofgotham, who is streaming on Saturday June 10th, said: “I am really excited to be taking part in the Gamers for Orcas Challenge, playing and streaming some of my favourite games with some really awesome people, and I encourage anyone who is ready to do some gaming for a good cause to join me and sign up to be a ‘Gamer for Orcas’”.
To celebrate the Gamers for Orcas challenge, WDC has also announced that James Schall, VP of Digital Business at SEGA Europe, has been appointed as a WDC ambassador – helping to support WDC’s work with the games industry.
James said: “I’m so proud to join WDC as an ambassador. The work they do for the survival and future health of whales and dolphins across the world is incredible and I’m honoured to be part of the team. I’ve supported the charity since childhood and I look forward to offering advice and guidance on many of their videogame and other related projects.”
WDC are also challenging members of the gaming community to run in their own marathons as part of the event, to fundraise and to raise awareness of the important work that WDC do around the world to keep whales and dolphins safe and free.
“We are really excited to be working with so many of our amazing supporters from across the gaming community on Gamers for Orcas,” said Abbie Cheesman, WDC corporate partnerships manager. “There are loads of ways that people can get involved, including running their own gaming marathons or challenges, donating on the day and helping spread the word. We also have some pretty awesome surprises up our sleeve that we’ll be sharing with our supporters in the run up to the event, so keep an eye on WDC’s socials or visit whales.org/gamersfororcas for more information”.
