Fortnite Raises $144 Million in Ukraine Aid
Fortnite has raised $144 million for humanitarian aid in Ukraine through in-game purchases, Epic Games revealed Monday. The funds will be donated to Direct Relief, UNICEF, the United Nations World Food Program, the United Nations Refugee Agency and World Central Kitchen.
On March 20, Epic Games announced it would partner with Xbox and redirect all the proceeds from Fortnite to organizations providing humanitarian relief in Ukraine until April 3. The exact distribution of funds has yet to be revealed, but the money has already been sent — Epic Games distributed the money as it came in, sending the funds even before each transaction was fully processed.
Our deepest thanks to everyone who joined us in supporting humanitarian relief efforts for people affected by the war in Ukraine.
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) April 4, 2022
Together with the Fortnite community and @Xbox, we raised $144 million USD for @DirectRelief @UNICEF, @WFP, @Refugees and @WCKitchen. pic.twitter.com/lPAa8lmfJn
"Really incredible to see how the gaming community can have impact beyond the playing of games," Xbox head Phil Spencer tweeted. "Thank you @FortniteGame for putting this together, inspiring to see the results."
Fundraising efforts began alongside the start of Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2, when Epic Games removed building from the game temporarily and added the usual raft of new features that accompanies a new season. This likely bolstered fundraising significantly, as players flocked back to the game to try out the new additions.