Gears of War devs, The Coalition, support suicide prevention efforts via their campaign “Never Fight Alone”.
Feelgood Friday: Share of all Gears of War Net Revenue Pledged to Loneliness and Suicide Prevention
Written by Ollie Bradley at 09/16/2022, 09:16 AM
Sometimes the kindest gestures come from the most unlikely of places. When it comes to helping to prevent death, Gears of War might not be the first game that springs to mind. But developer The Coalition is pulling out all the stops by pledging 1% of its net revenue to suicide prevention efforts.
As part of a new charitable drive to tackle the loneliness epidemic and tragic frequency of suicide, The Coalition is living up to its name by working with organizations dedicated to mental health advocacy. The initiative is dubbed "Never Fight Alone" and will see 1% of all games and merchandise sales going straight towards this endeavour.
So far, Never Fight Alone has announced its first of many partners, Crisis Text Line. This 24/7 text-based nonprofit offers free mental health support and crisis intervention in the US, UK, Canada, and Ireland. Anyone in a tight spot can simply text 'PAUSE' to 741741 or WhatsApp at (443)-SUPPORT to get through to a team of trained volunteers.
"In 2021, we had 1.3 million conversations with texters who needed help with issues like anxiety, depression and suicide. We're honored to partner with The Coalition & the Gears of War franchise to increase access to mental health support and suicide prevention services. Partnerships like this are so critical to addressing the mental health crisis in America and reaching our vision for an empathetic world where nobody feels alone," says Dena Trujillo, CEO at Crisis Text Line.
As the Never Fight Alone initiative builds more partnerships, proponents can show their support in a number of ways.
Be sure to check up on your friends and family today with a small message to show you care.
Save 'Text PAUSE to 741741' to your phone so it is always on hand if needed.
Join the conversation on suicide prevention over on Twitter.
Purchase your very own Never Fight Alone benefit tee from the Xbox Gear Store or Game Planet for those in Mexico. All proceeds will go to Crisis Text Line.
Of course, there's also the opportunity to straight-up donate to the campaign. Hopefully, the success of these suicide prevention efforts might inspire other studios to follow suit.