Itch.io's Massive Racial Justice and Equality Charity Bundle Has Raised Over $2.3 Million

In response to the protests against police brutality and racial injustice that have swept the globe, donations and fundraising efforts for associated causes have sprung up throughout the games industry and community. One such effort, Itch.io's 742 game Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality, has raised a truly staggering amount of money in a short time: at the time of writing, the donation total sits at over $2,390,000.

The indie digital distribution platform launched the bundle on the evening of Friday, June 5, and managed to pass the $2 million mark before Sunday's end. All of the proceeds are being split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Community Bail Fund. The minimum donation for the bundle is $5, but the average contribution thus far sits at $11.47.

Included amongst the hundreds of smaller indie titles in the bundle are some more well-known titles—including Oxenfree, Night in the Woods, and Minit—that make the bundle an incredible value as-is. Itch.io's founder Leaf Corcoran is also fielding additional submissions for the bundle. A portion of the titles in the bundle at the moment are otherwise available for free or at no cost through Itch.io's pay-what-you-want system, but Corcoran says additions to the bundles will either be paid or pay-what-you-want.

"Our bundle system was not meant for this many games," says Corcoran, explaining the reason for limiting future additions. All submissions, included in the bundle or otherwise, will be highlighted in a collection on Itch.io to show who has offered their support.

Both by the dollar amount and by the sheer number of titles on offer, Itch.io's fundraising effort is the most substantial show of support for the protests by any games distribution platform so far. Last week, Humble Bundle announced it is establishing a $1 million fund "dedicated to helping publish games by Black developers," promising more information on the fund soon.

With over a week to go for the fundraiser, more games to be added, and a new $5 million goal set on its page, Itch.io's Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is well on its way to becoming one of the largest charitable donations ever put together by the games community. Be sure to look over the bundle's full list of titles—there could be dozens of new favorites already waiting for you in it already.