Notes ·
A Game Bundle Helping Laid-Off Developers Pay for Basic Needs
Necrosoft Games and United Videogame Workers-CWA have organized the Game Industry Hardship Fund bundle, offering 127 DRM-free games and other items from 109 creators for a minimum contribution of $10. The collection includes A Short Hike, SkateBIRD, Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure and many smaller games that deserve attention.
All proceeds, minus itch.io processing fees, go to a hardship fund administered by United Videogame Workers. Neither the bundle organizers nor the union take a portion of the money for themselves.
The fund helps game workers in the United States and Canada who have been affected by layoffs or related hardship since January 2024. It is open to people from AAA, mobile and independent studios, including full-time, part-time, contract and freelance workers. Recipients can request help with unavoidable expenses such as groceries, rent and medical costs, whether or not they belong to the union.
As I write this, the bundle has raised $69,683.64 from 4,794 contributors, with an average contribution of $14.53. It will remain available through August 13.
I purchased it because I have friends who have spent their careers making games, and I know how difficult employment has become across the industry. These are skilled artists, programmers, designers, writers, producers and testers who built successful games, only to discover that success offers little protection when executives decide to reduce costs.
The bundle’s organizers say reports indicate roughly one-third of the United States game industry has lost jobs in the past two years. At the same time, workers are watching companies talk about replacing more of their creative labor with AI.
Buying a bundle will not repair the game industry’s employment crisis, but it can help someone cover food, healthcare or rent while searching for their next job. For $10, it is an easy opportunity for players to support the people who make the games we love.