Local video game publisher Riot Games announced on Friday that players in an in-game charity fundraiser raised more than $6 million for nonprofits around the world.
Riot says it is empowering its League of Legends players to choose which nonprofits in their regions will receive funding, with an in-game voting process from April 10-23.
"We are incredibly humbled by our players' generosity," said Jeffrey Burrell, Riot Games's head of karma -- its social impact department.
"They have shown us time and time again that they care deeply about making the world, and their communities, a better place," Burrell said.
"We are committed to finding new ways to make meaningful impact at the global and local levels, and are excited to see the hard work we put into Social Impact Fund begin to benefit people around the World," he said.
The Dawnbringer Karma fundraiser is one of the first initiatives using Riot's player voting platform. From April 10-23, League of Legends players can log in to the game client and vote for one of three local nonprofits in their region. At the end of the voting window, the local nonprofit with the most votes will receive 50% of their regional charity pool, and the other nonprofits will each get 25% of the regional charity pool.
Riot Games Social Impact Fund has guaranteed a minimum grant of $10,000 for each nonprofit organization.
"As a global organization, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to serve players from diverse backgrounds around the world and we feel an innate responsibility to operate at a hyper-local level," said Dylan Jadeja, president of Riot Games.
"We believe that leveraging our platform to give players agency in choosing the causes that matter most to their local communities is incredibly meaningful, and hope to continue finding opportunities to empower our players to give back in ways that resonate with them," Jadeja said.
