Fortnite Ukraine fund raises $144 million in just over two weeks
Running alongside the launch of Chapter 3 Season 2, the battle royale from Epic Games has raised an astounding amount of money
After just over two weeks of fundraising, $144 million has been raised for humanitarian aid in Ukraine by Epic Games. This huge amount of money, all of which is headed to those who need it most right now, was raised entirely through Fortnite via in-game purchases.
This fundraising effort was implemented at an interesting time for the battle royale, as it ran alongside the Chapter 3 Season 2 launch which removed building from the game temporarily across all game modes, as well as added a dedicated parkour system and a variety of new weapons and vehicles.
So not only did proceeds from your Fortnite regulars get added to the pile, but purchases from those who only pop in at the start of big updates as well as those who fell out of love with the game due to building contributed too. The end result is a figure that is hard to fathom - being split between charities Direct Relief, UNICEF WFP, the UN Refugee agency and WCKitchen.
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
The pessimistic out there may say that the whole situation is a PR move, that while expensive is one Epic Games and Fortnite can afford, but when push comes to shove it’s a lot of money that’s going to do a lot of good for people who need it. In my mind, $144 million is more than a fair price for some points in gamer’s books.
Did you contribute to the Fortnite Ukraine fund? If so, was it because of the fund itself, or because you’re a consistent player who was going to drop some V-bucks anway. Let us know!
If you want more Fortnite content, check out our reporting on how Fortnite’s fundraiser fairs against some countries, as well as how the new permanent Zero Build mode is an absolute win.
