Gaming and esports in the name of support for military veterans.
Gamers and Guardians, a gaming event featuring active and retired military veterans participating in Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and other games, has raised thousands of dollars for charity this Veterans Day.
The event, run by August Interactive in partnership with WePlay Studios, saw vets from the U.S., Ukraine, and other nations compete on the server across various titles to raise money for veteran aid.
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It's not just fun and games — it's for a good cause
Big names including Jon "Falloutt" Kefaloukos and Jake "SirActionSlacks" Kanner ran point as hosts and commentators for Gamers and Guardians. Viewers tuned in to catch the action live from the Los Angeles studio, while veterans competed both online and on-site in the one-day event.
Gamers and Guardians was streamed live on Twitch and began with Apex Legends before players shifted to party games. The event wrapped with a Black Ops 6 show match between Team U.S. and Team Ukraine. The Ukrainian outfit came out ahead despite a late comeback attempt from the American squad. It's not all about winning, though; Gamers and Guardians helps build a community and offers support to military veterans and their families.
Donations were split, with participating veterans competing for half of the fundraiser money while the remainder was split between Activision's CoD Endowment for veterans and the Warrior GMR Foundation. From hardcore CoD and Apex competitions to fun family games like Party Animals and Fall Guys, Gamers and Guardians is all about coming together for an important cause.
"As a company originating from the country that is currently fighting for independence and sovereignty, it is important for WePlay to support the efforts in raising awareness about the problems veterans face after returning from a war zone," WePlay Studios CEO Yura Lazebnikov said in a press release.
"Thank you so much to everybody for coming out tonight. This has been a night to celebrate veterans and support them in any way we can, and it means so much to everyone — veteran or just military-connected," co-organizer and host Anjali "Bossprey" Jauregui said.
There's still time to contribute — head to August Interactive's Gamers and Guardians page to donate. Stay tuned to esports.gg for more gaming and esports news.
