Call of Duty raises $1.6 million for Australian fire relief through in-game campaign

Call of Duty publisher Activision has donated $1.6 million to Australian bushfire relief efforts, money raised through sales of an in-game Outback Relief Pack during January.

The promotion was one of many launched by members of the game industry to assist those affected by catastrophic bush fires across Australia in recent months.

The Call of Duty campaign pledged to donate 100 percent of Activision’s net proceeds from the sale of an Australia-themed cosmetic back, the Outback Relief Pack, featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare until January 31.

That weeks-long campaign, which also saw previous sales from the Outback Pack retroactively counted toward the total, raised a total of $1.6 million for Direct Relief, an international aid organization coordinating with local groups to provide emergency and health supplies to those affected.

“Call of Duty players around the world came together in support of this terrible tragedy,” said Call of Duty GM and EVP Byron Beede in a statement. “We’re honored to help in this effort with the funds from the Outback Relief pack. We thank everyone for their generosity, and we look forward to putting this donation into action.”

Other companies like Bungie and Ubisoft Australia have launched campaigns to help those affected in wake of the fires, ranging from direct donations to their own fundraising campaigns.