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Square Enix, Pokémon Company, Niantic Donate to Support Black Lives Matter Movement
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Square Enix announced on Tuesday that it will donate US$250,000 to support the Black Lives Matter organization and other charities, and will match employee donations.
Similarly, The Pokémon Company International announced on Wednesday that it will make a US$100,000 donation to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and an additional US$100,000 to Black Lives Matter.
Pokémon GO developer Niantic announced on Wednesday that it will donate its proceeds from Pokémon GO Fest 2020 ticket sales, with a committed minimum of US$5 million. Half of the donations will "fund new projects from Black gaming and AR creators that can live on the Niantic platform, with the ultimate goal of increasing content that represents a more diverse view on the world. The other half will go to US nonprofit organizations that are helping local communities rebuild." It will also donate US$100,000 to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, and will match employee donations up to US$50,000. It will donate US$60,000 to the Gamehead nonprofit organization for teaching game development to kids, and will take measures internally to promote diversity, inclusivity, and awareness within the company.
In addition, other companies have announced postponements of events in order to redirect focus on the Black Lives Matter movement and ongoing protests.
CAPCOM announced on Wednesday that it is delaying the CAPCOM Pro Tour Online's start date. The previously scheduled June 6-7 North America East 1 leg of the tournament series will now run on June 20-21, while the Europe East and Middle East 1 leg will still run on June 13-14. The company will also be refraining from making game-related posts on its social media channels.
PC Gamer will postpone its PC Gaming Show 2020 and Future Games Show 2020 online events from June 6 to June 13.
Protests have flared across multiple cities in the United States after the May 25 death of George Floyd, an African-American man, as local police forcibly held him down with a knee against his neck in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The protests have also sparked sympathetic protests in other cities outside the United States, highlighting police discrimination and brutality in their own communities.
Sources: Square Enix's Twitter account, The Pokémon Company International's Twitter account, Niantic via Siliconera, CAPCOM via Siliconera, PC Gamer Twitter account via Gematsu
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