Skip to main content

Itch.io games bundle raises $1 million in less than 24 hours for racial justice

Itch.io, a digital marketplace for indie games, has raised more than $1 million in less than 24 hours from a bundle that seeks to support racial justice.

The Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality includes 742 games from 564 developers, worth a total of $3,453. However, Itch.io is selling the bundle for only a minimum donation of $5, which is a definite steal.

Related Videos

We reached out to our community and an unprecedented number of creators donated over 740 projects to be part of what we believe is the largest bundle ever.

The Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is now available #BlackLivesMatterhttps://t.co/JCCnqMF6yz

— itch.io (@itchio) June 6, 2020

The contents of the bundle range from smaller games to certified indie hits such as Oxenfree, Wide Ocean Big Jacket, Overland, Tonight We Riot, A Short Hike, A Mortician’s Tale, and Super Hexagon, just to name a few.

The bundle proved to be popular at the onset, with $234,000 raised after just about six hours. As of the time of writing, Itch.io has already raised more than $1.1 million, with nine days still left in the sale. That amount is expected to keep going up, especially with 185 new games soon to be added to the bundle, and presumably even more over the course of the sale.

Itch.io will donate all the proceeds of the bundle’s sale to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and a collection of community bail funds, which are supporting the people behind the Black Lives Matter movement that has escalated after the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.

Game industry responds to U.S. social unrest

The gaming industry has responded in various ways to the social unrest sweeping through the United States. While Itch.io is raising funds from its Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality, several publishers and developers have pledged donations to support the cause.

Some gaming-related events, including Sony’s latest PlayStation 5 event, were delayed to give way to the protests, while Take-Two shut down Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online to support the Black Lives Matter movement.

Editors' Recommendations

Report: Nintendo has sold 1.5 million Switch consoles in less than two weeks
Nintendo Switch review

We haven't been able to stop playing our Nintendo Switch systems, thanks in no small part to the incredible The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and it appears that we are not alone. A new report estimates that Nintendo has managed to sell more than 1.5 million consoles in less than two weeks on the market.

The figures, which come from game data research firm SuperData via Gamesindustry.biz, said that 500,000 Switch systems were sold during the system's first week in the United States alone, with another 360,000 sold in Japan -- the data didn't give an exact total for Europe as a whole but stated that it was comparable to Japan's sales, and France and the United Kingdom combined for 195,000 more units.

Read more
A Good Bundle, a good deal: Fundraiser offers 150 indie games for $20
a good bundle charity fundraiser features 150 indie games for 20 gonehomegoodbundle

Looking for something to play over the holidays? Indie gaming marketplace Itch.io is offering 150 digital PC games and applications as part of A Good Bundle and supporters can pick up the full set for only $20.

Featured games include standouts like Gone Home, ROM: Read Only Memories, and Proteus. Proceeds from the bundle will be split 50-50 between the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood in a bid to "combat some of the ugliness in our world," according to Itch.io.

Read more
Summer Games Done Quick raises nearly $1.3 million for charity
sgdq 2016 results 13568837 1362627677083969 6281684742258631 o

The bi-annual video game speedrunning charity drive has done it again, raising a boat load of money for a great cause. Summer Games Done Quick, the sunnier variant to the Games Done Quick charity drive, has raised a whopping $1,298,544 in donations for Doctors Without Borders.

Twice every year, Games Done Quick comes together to stream speedrunners playing video games really fast for charity on Twitch. The stream goes on for eight days, with many of the top speedrunners in their respective games showing up in solidarity.

Read more