Skip to main content

Destiny developer Bungie’s community raises $400,000 for Nepal earthquake relief

Destiny Nepal Aid shirt
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Last month a a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal — the largest the country had seen since 1934. The earthquake has killed over 7,000 people, injured thousands more, and literally raised and then lowered the world’s highest mountain by a a few feet.

People the world over are scrambling to help those affected by the disaster, and gamers are pitching in as well. Last week Bungie, developer of Destiny and creator of the Halo franchise, began to sell a special-edition shirt in its store, with all profits going to charities aiding those in Nepal.

Recommended Videos

Yesterday Bungie community manager David “Deej” Dague confirmed on the Bungie website that the shirt project has already raised $400,000 in just one week. The funds raised are going to Direct Relief, who is delivering medical treatment and “healthy commodities” to those in Nepal.

Bungie wants to see that number go even higher, so until May 13, the Bungie Foundation will donate an additional $15 for every shirt sold, up to $50,000. The goal is to bring in $100,000 in new funds and bring the tally up up to $500,000.

The Nepal Aid shirt sells for $25 and includes an in-game shader and emblem code for Destiny with every purchase. The shirts are available in men’s, women’s, and youth varieties. Shipping was originally prohibitively high for those outside the U.S., but Bungie has recently updated its international shipping options to make the purchase feasible for everyone.

Pre-orders for the shirts will be available until May 24, and they will begin shipping in early June. The codes for in-game items will be delivered “in an upcoming feature update later this year.”

Bungie isn’t the only company jumping in to raise money for Nepalese earthquake relief. Far Cry 4 developer Ubisoft Montreal and Eve Online developer CCP are both doing their part to aid those in need as well.

To get a shirt for yourself and help those in need, head over to the Bungie store.

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
Bungie reveals Destiny 2’s Beyond Light expansion and next-gen plans
Destiny Beyond Light

Bungie finally shared details on Destiny 2’s mysterious 12th season, which kicks off today. A livestream presentation revealed what’s in store for the newly dubbed Season of Arrivals, as well as next-gen plans and significant changes coming this fall.

The stream began with 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence to represent the amount of time George Floyd was choked by police. On-screen text showed a list of organizations and urged fans to donate.

Read more
Destiny 2’s Corridors of Time quest inspired by horror film Cube, Bungie reveals
Destiny 2 Bastion Corridors of Time

While devoted Destiny players are no strangers to developer Bungie’s love of surprise puzzles, Destiny 2’s recently solved Corridors of Time quest proved to be one of the most confounding and mystifying challenges to hit the series yet. With the puzzle officially solved, Bungie finally shed some light on the inspiration behind the quest.

In a This Week At Bungie blog post, developers revealed that Corridors of Time was directly inspired by Cube, a cult-classic horror film from 1997 that was directed by Vincenzo Natali, (Splice, In the Tall Grass). Bungie’s dev team explained how the puzzle takes after the film’s titular structure, a gigantic maze of rooms filled with traps. Explaining the quest’s seemingly endless “rabbit hole”-like structure, the dev team goes on to cite Alice in Wonderland and The Matrix as other guiding inspirations.

Read more
Get a free exotic engram in Destiny 2, thanks to a Bungie website glitch
Destiny 2 Season of Dawn

There’s an odd new Destiny 2 glitch out in the world that is letting players obtain a free exotic engram. Unlike the bevy of new glitches that have come to the game in the latest Season of Dawn update, this bug isn’t actually in the game at all. Instead, it’s a weird exploit on Bungie’s website, which is letting season pass holders reclaim an exotic engram they already obtained. If you’re looking to get rewarded for doing nothing, here’s how you can claim it.

To do this, head to the Season Pass page on Bungie’s website and log in to your Destiny account of choice. Make sure you have “Previous Season” selected in the top left of the page. Once you’re looking at the Season of the Undying reward rail, click through the pass until you see rank 98.

Read more