Influencers Will Compete in Four Game Titles on Behalf of Stack Up and Take This from December 13-16
ESL, the world’s largest independent esports company, and Oculus, the VR team at Facebook creating world-class VR hardware and software, today announced the Change the Game VR Charity Challenge (VRCC). Two teams of influencers will compete for a $100,000 USD prize that will be donated to one of two gaming charities, Stack Up or Take This.
“VR is at the forefront of technology in esports and is poised to have an impact on the industry as we continue to innovate the space,” said Sean Charles, SVP Global Publisher & Developer Relations at ESL. “Through our partnership with Oculus, VRCC is a great way to leverage an impactful gaming trend to raise awareness and give back to the gaming community.”
“With the VRCC, we’re pioneering an entirely new type of game show that’s novel, exciting, and all for a good cause,” said Christopher McKelvy, Head of Esports at Oculus. “As a veteran myself, I’m particularly excited about the charities participating. While Take This and Stack Up may be competing in the VRCC, they’re both doing incredible work aiding veterans and removing stigma around mental health.”
One team of influencers will represent Stack Up, a nonprofit bringing veterans together in a supportive environment through a shared passion for gaming, while the other will play on behalf of Take This, a mental health nonprofit serving the gaming community and providing mental health resources, guidelines, training, and support tailored to the unique needs of game developers and the game community.
On behalf of their respective charities, the ten influencers will split into two teams and compete head-to-head in four Oculus VR games to determine a winner. Competition will ensue in Steel Crate Games’ “Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes,” Gunfire Games’ “Dead and Buried,” Turtle Rock Studios’ “Face your Fears,” and Survios’ “Creed: Rise to Glory™.” Gameplay will be streamed through four 12-minute episodes distributed primarily on the Oculus YouTube Channel and the VR Charity Challenge website.
“ESL and Oculus naming Take This as one of two charities to be honored in this year’s Virtual Reality Charity Challenge is one big step forward to raising awareness around mental health and reducing its stigma in the gaming community,” said Eve Crevoshay, Executive Director at Take This. “We are beyond grateful that Take This has been chosen alongside StackUp, and this generous donation will help us to continue to provide important resources, training, and support through Take This’ AFK rooms at game conventions, our website, and our recently launched Take This Ambassador Program for streamers.”
“Stack Up is honored to be selected as one of the charities involved in this year’s Virtual Reality Charity Challenge, as well as being partnered against awesome mental health awareness charity Take This,” said Stephen Machuga, Founder and CEO at Stack Up. “While we may be mortal enemies for the VRCC, we stand side by side with Take This in fighting to support our veterans struggling with the scars left across decades of combat and peacekeeping deployments. We thank Oculus for this incredible opportunity for the holidays!“
VRCC episodes will air consecutively from December 13 to December 16 on Oculus and ESL social channels. For more information, please visit vrcharitychallenge.com, and tune in to watch the action on our full list of channels: