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Video game industry to rally 250 million players to protect the planet

By Paramount Technetwork | August 18, 2020

Nairobi, 18 August 2020 – Some of the biggest names in mobile gaming today – with a combined active user base of 250 million players – unveiled a series of environmental activations they will be integrating into live games such as Subway Surfers, Angry Birds 2 and Golf Clash.

During the first ever Green Mobile Game Jam, which took place from March to April 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, developers and CEOs from 11 companies committed to integrate these green activations such as new modes, maps or buildings, themed events, storylines and messaging.

The Playing for the Planet Alliance, facilitated by UNEP and GRID-Arendal, supported the Green Mobile Game Jam, whose organizers hope that the shared learning and new practice represent a turning point for green thinking in game design for mass audience mobile games.

“We are excited to see the gaming industry throw its weight behind global efforts to reverse the climate crisis,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. “The climate emergency needs all hands on deck. In reaching out to 250 million gamers, we hope to inspire audiences to take action.”

Space Ape CEO John Earner, who helped oversee the jam, said, “I was sceptical whether we could pull it off, especially during lockdown, but it was really inspiring to see companies who are normally very competitive come together and deliver some really great work. I see a huge amount of potential here for our industry and player communities going forward.”

The results of the jam, activation designs and timelines for implementation can be seen on this Green Mobile Game Jam page, which features the following activations:

  • MAG Interactive will be running
    awareness and tree-planting themed events in their games WordBrain and
    WordBrain2.
  • Sybo will be launching a world tour
    stop in Subway Surfers which will ask their community to take action on
    the frontlines of the climate crisis.
  • Space Ape will be educating and engaging
    players about the benefits of renewable energy through their game
    Transformers: Earth Wars.
  • WildWorks has introduced new renewable
    energy choices such as solar and wind power that reward players with
    special eco-credits and unlocks in the Animal Jam.
  • Playdemic will be seeking to educate and
    activate millions of mobile gamers in their game Golf Clash.
  • Fingersoft will be adding
    recharge stations with solar panels in Hill Climb Racing 2.
  • Rovio will be hosting two in-game events
    in Angry Birds 2 around the theme of reforestation and will share links
    with players where they can learn more about reforestation efforts and how
    they can contribute.
  • Pixelberry will design a
    new book in Choices that will see two sisters raising awareness about
    climate change while their family’s fishing business is affected by a major
    fish die-off.
  • Creative Mobile will be
    restoring biodiversity through special events to fundraise for the Wolf
    Conservation Trust in their game Zoocraft: Animal Family.
  • Future Games of London are shining a
    light on melting polar ice with a new game update in Hungry Shark World:
    Arctic Extinction.
  • GameDuell will be providing Belote.com
    players with practical information about sustainability that they can use
    in their daily life.

The participants in the jam were asked to address themes including climate change, reforestation, restoring nature and renewable energy. Green Mobile Game Jam participants voted Playdemic as “Overall Winner”, MAG Interactive as “Most Adoptable” for their collaboration with TreesPlease, and Creative Mobile as “First to Market”. Wildworks emerged as “UNEP Favourite.”

Some activations have already been integrated and the rest will go live by early 2021. The Playing for the Planet Alliance is partnering with Google Play to promote eligible games, with the activations later this year. Next year, organizers hope that additional companies will sign up to participate in the jam, potentially reaching up to 1 billion gamers with the activations.


Notes to editors

The Playing for the Planet Alliance is facilitated by UNEP and GRID-Arendal, and includes 25 member companies that have made commitments: Bornholm Game Days, Creative Mobile, E-Line Media, Future Games of London, Google Stadia, Green Man Gaming, iDreamSky, Internet of Elephants, MAG Interactive, Microsoft, Niantic, Pixelberry Studios, Playmob, Reliance Games, Rovio, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Space Ape, Sports Interactive, Strange Loop Games, Supercell, Sybo, Tigertron, Twitch, Ubisoft and WildWorks.


About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP):

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

About GRID-Arendal:

GRID-Arendal is a non-profit environmental communications centre based in Norway. We transform environmental data into innovative, science-based information products and provide capacity-building services, with the aim of strengthening management capacity and motivating decision-makers to make positive change. We collaborate with the UN Environment Programme and other partners around the world.


For further information on the Playing for the Planet Alliance, contact:

Keishamaza Rukikaire, Head of News & Media, UNEP, +254717080753, rukikaire@un.org