A new class of spaceship being destroyed for the first time. A massive free for all brawl in space. Some EVE Online streamers eating incredibly hot chicken wings. These disparate events are some of the things EVE players did to raise money for the game’s recent charity event, PLEX for Good. EVE Online players came together to donate $107,454 (roughly equating to nearly 450 years of game time) to the Red Cross, to be put towards aid for the Australian bushfires.
EVE developer CCP has previously hosted PLEX for Good events, which allow players to redeem in-game items towards a communal donation to a cause. This is the eighth iteration of the campaign, which started in 2005 to raise money for victims of a tsunami that ravaged South East Asia. Since its first run, PLEX for Good has helped EVE players contribute $578,000 to charitable causes focusing on disaster relief and recovery.
In order for players to be able to change their virtual goods into real-life money, CCP Games designates a character inside the game world that accepts donations of PLEX, one of EVE’s premium currencies. At the end of the event, the total number of PLEX is counted up and converted into its equivalent real-world value. CCP then makes a donation in that amount on behalf of the entire EVE community.
Along with the conclusion of the campaign and the announcement of the total came a heartfelt thanks from a firefighter in New South Wales, who is also an EVE player. “What you capsuleers from around the world have done for us has just blown my mind away.”
In a game community notorious for being full of scammers, thieves, and villains, it’s refreshing to see that those same individuals are capable of selflessness too.