Bethesda Softworks, the video game publisher behind titles such as Fallout 76 and the Doom reboot, announced Monday it will donate $1 million to help with Covid-19 relief efforts.
"With the impact of this health crisis being so great and widespread, we want to help by donating to an array of international and local charities which are directly involved with Covid-19 relief efforts," Bethesda said in a joint statement with its holding company, ZeniMax Media.
The donation will split into three parts:
--$500 000 will go to Direct Relief, which specializes in delivering medical supplies and personal protective equipment to hospitals and first responders and healthcare workers.
--$250 000 to UNICEF, the United Nations agency that is working with first responders and healthcare givers to provide relief to children and their families.
--$250 000 to COVID-19 relief efforts in the communities where Bethesda has studios and offices. "This way we can support worthy charities fighting COVID-19 in our local communities across the world," the statement read.
Bethesda is also encouraging maintaining personal connections while observing social distancing through its #BethesdaAtHome livestreaming campaign.
World leaders pledged on Friday to accelerate work on tests, drugs and vaccines against COVID-19 and to share them around the globe, but the United States did not take part in the launch of the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were among those who joined a video conference to launch what the WHO billed as a "landmark collaboration" to fight the pandemic.
The aim is to speed development of safe and effective drugs, tests and vaccines to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19, the lung disease caused be the novel coronavirus - and ensure equal access to treatments for rich and poo