The collaboration between Thatgamecompany’s Sky: Children of Light and ocean conservation non-profit The Ocean Cleanup has raised nearly $2.5 million to fight ocean pollution. The indie developer thatgamecompany has been making artistic, meditative games since 2007, and Sky is its latest offering for fans. The free multiplayer game, which is a spiritual successor to the extraordinary 2007 experience, Journey, encourages player interaction and collaboration.

The Days of Nature event harnesses the compassion and sense of teamwork of the game’s player base, and turns them into a force of goodwill. The annual event has returned to Sky for its fifth year, bringing the total amount of money raised for the cause since 2021 to nearly $2.5 million toward creating solutions to remove plastic from the world’s oceans, according to a press release. Tim Nixon, Online Experience Director of thatgamecompany, said this about the partnership:

“This partnership continues to reinforce our belief that games should be a force for good. The Sky community has taken what they do best — spreading kindness — and turned it into real-world impact, which I couldn’t be more proud of.”

Sky: Children Of Light Event Turns In-Game Situations Into Real-World Solutions

Days Of Nature Prompt Players To Help Restore The World, Both In-Game And IRL

The Days of Nature, which runs from April 28 through May 18 this year, prompts players to restore the Sanctuary Islands in Sky to their natural glory. The event returns every year with new goals for players that reflect the real-world challenges faced by The Ocean Cleanup and other programs working to remove as much plastic trash from our oceans.

This year’s event focuses on cleaning oil and pollution from the waters in Sanctuary, helping the environment and the creatures who reside in the in-game marine wilderness. The cleanup effort, like many aspects of the multiplayer game, requires players to collaborate to rescue marine life and clean the waters in the game, which will be echoed by the non-profit in the real world. Nisha Bakker, Director of Partnerships at The Ocean Cleanup praises the players for their giving spirit, saying that “Sky inspires people to want to take action… and by working together, we are making progress toward a cleaner future for our oceans and rivers.”

Sky: Children Of Light Players Are Helping To Clean The Oceans

The Collab Has Helped Remove More Than A Million Pounds Of Trash From Oceans

Games have the power to reach millions of players, and while many studios focus on making a profit, thatgamecompany has always had a very different approach. Jenova Chen, the studio’s president and creative director, told Game Industry in 2020 that the company’s goal has always been to create “human experiences” that touch players. The game, like many live-service games, does rely on microtransactions, but these have always been about giving, not earning, making a game “where giving and altruistic gifting is the driver of the spending.”

Five years later, it seems that the game has maintained its original vision, giving players a way to have a real effect on the world around them, not just other players. A recent video on thatgamecompany’s YouTube channel reveals that the collaboration between Sky: Children of Light and The Ocean Cleanup has resulted in the removal of over a million pounds of trash from oceans.

In the Game Industry interview, Chen stated that the company’s goal is to “create an emotional experience that touches not just the player, but also hopefully their spouse and their children.” Five years later, Sky: Children of Light continues to spread its message of love and altruism to the world’s oceans, as well.

Source: Game Industry, thatgamecompany/YouTube