- The sales of battle passes over the last few days will go to Ukraine
- The campaign will last until March 12
- Many other gaming organizations and esports pros have also pitched in to help
Riot Games is raising money for humanitarian aid to Ukrainian civilians through the sale of battle passes and LoL skins.
Riot Raises over $3 Million for Humanitarian Help
With the war in Ukraine heating up even more and civilians suffering from the bombardment of city infrastructure, some companies have decided to help with donating t humanitarian efforts. This includes Riot Games which raised more than $2 million for humanitarian aid for Ukraine. This, combined with contributions internally, makes a total sum of more than $3 million that will be sent to organizations aiding the relief efforts in the war-torn country.
These funds were gathered through battle pass sales in VALORANT, Legends of Runeterra, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift from March 5. Sales of the new Bee-themed skins for Orianna, Heimerdinger, Ziggs, Nunu, and Willump will also be added to this total during this duration. The campaign will last until March 12.
Riot Games already donated $1 million to various medical organizations, such as International Medical Corps, Doctors Without Borders, and the Polish Red Cross, who are helping in the humanitarian efforts. In a news post, Riot said that all proceeds earned until March 12 from purchases of the various passes and League skins “will directly support humanitarian relief in Ukraine and other affected areas.”
Esports organizations have also pitched in to help in the humanitarian effort. For example, team Liquid announced it will have a WoW charity livestream to raise funds for the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Esports Organizations’ Response to the War
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused ripples throughout the world. Suddenly, Europe saw large-scale war for the first time in 80 years of relative peace. Many people spoke against these actions, including the gaming world, which unanimously condemned the war.
And as countries imposed economic sanctions on Russia and deliver aid to Ukraine, sports organizations have been banning Russian teams and athletes from competing. This includes esports organizers, who are banning organizations with alleged ties to the Russian government.
There are many organizations and players from both Ukraine and Russia, who the war-affected, sometimes quite directly. Due to the situation, the Ukrainian government announced a general mobilization, which means men between the ages of 18 to 60 are not allowed to leave the country. They have to stay to help in any way they can.
For Ukrainian players stuck outside the country, like one of the best CS:GO players s1mple, this war is also very personal. He has on a few occasions said he has family and friends in heavily bombed cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv. The pro recently donated $33 000 to the Ukrainian armed forces.
