A charity game bundle raising money for laid-off developers has passed $163,000 and is closing on $200,000, with seven days left before it ends on August 13. The Game Industry Hardship Fund bundle, hosted on Itch.io, cleared its initial $100,000 goal earlier in the campaign.
The bundle collects 127 games for a minimum price of $10, with proceeds going to developers who have lost their jobs. Skatebird, A Short Hike and Arranger are among the better-known titles included. More than 11,000 people have bought in so far; GameSpot reports that one buyer contributed $5,000, and the organisers encourage payments above the minimum.
It was organised by Necrosoft Games director Brandon Sheffield together with the United Videogame Workers, a CWA union for game developers, in response to the layoff waves of the past two years. Developers in the United States and Canada can apply to the fund for money towards food, healthcare, rent and moving costs, and the union distributes the payments.
The game industry has a problem. Too many people are out of work. Reports say 33% of the industry lost their jobs in the last two years, and the jobs they could fill are disappearing as CEOs try to replace them with AI.
Where the money has gone
OneBGS, the Bethesda Game Studios union, said the fund had covered a member’s moving expenses so they could return home after being laid off. Sheffield has said he hopes to double the amount raised before the campaign closes.
The backdrop is six months of heavy cuts. Microsoft laid off 1,600 Xbox employees, with a further 1,600 cuts flagged over the coming year. Riot Games announced layoffs after releasing its League of Legends fighting game 2XKO. Ubisoft made significant cuts despite the success of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and Sony shut down Bluepoint Games entirely earlier this year.
Smaller studios have not been spared either: GameSpot points to Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM and a newly independent Double Fine among those affected. The bundle runs until August 13.
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