While many people are in quarantine, household isolation or self-isolation around the world during the Coronavirus crisis, one of the most important ways we can stay connected has been at our fingertips all along.
Playing video games online with and against friends and strangers has always been a fun thing to do. While the AI of computer programs can take a lot of beating whether you’re playing FIFA, Minecraft or Fortnite: Save the World, there’s no feeling like playing with your friends.
In four weeks, on May 2nd, the You Are Not Alone (YANA) fundraising event takes place, with the official website announcing that the charity drive will benefit a range of related charities as it’s the gamers choice. One example would see funds raised go directly to The Children’s Society.
With the drive a push to get 10 million gamers together around the world, the project has been backed by some very big names, with official partners such as Barclays, Codemasters, Sports Interactive, Esports Insider and Ubisoft all throwing their weight behind the mission.
With many Esports events having been cancelled and/or moved online – in most cases, this has been the case – the YANA project is encouraging gamers to play their favourite gamers online with each other at points during a 12-hour period on the date in questions.
There are bound to be some special events, with games such as FIFA20 and Fortnite rumoured to be involved. Sports Interactive, who created the latest version of Football Manager have already confirmed their participation and the full line-up will be revealed in due course, with games that are part of the YANA project expected to be announced by the end of the Easter weekend.
“Barclays Ventures has been working in a deep partnership with the games industry for many months now. The creativity, deep technical skills and passion of the games industry continue to amaze us. We are so excited to be part of the You Are Not Alone global initiative using games as a force for good in fighting isolation and loneliness.”
Ubisoft are also involved, and the MD for Northern Europe, Middle East and Export for the company, Rob Cooper, was equally enthusiastic on the potential for the YANA initiative to bring everyone together.
“We are all experiencing an event that we would never have expected to face,” he said, “It is something that is impacting everyone in many different ways. Ubisoft is proud to support the initiative “You Are Not Alone” and hope that our community of fans will do so as well and connect at yana.gg.”
You can follow YANA on Twitter as the build-up to the fundraising event approaches, with big players in the industry as well as popular games expected to be confirmed over the next few days. The hype is going to be as much fun as the fundraising event!
