[GameSpot] - Blizzard And Mila Kunis Are Raising Money For Ukraine Relief With An Adorable WoW Bundle

[343iBot]

World of Warcraft players can donate to aid Ukraine and score two in-game pets along the way. Developer Blizzard has announced a new pet bundle and a partnership with actress Mila Kunis to raise money for BlueCheck Ukraine, a charity providing support for various humanitarian efforts in light of Russia's ongoing invasion of the country.

Two pets, Sunny the Golden Retriever and Flurky the Murloc, will be available for $20 from now until August 29. Sunny is available in modern WoW, while those playing WoW: Wrath of the Lich King Classic will gain Flurky. In addition to being an adorable Murloc, Flurky is also holding a sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine. All of the proceeds from sales of the Pet Pack for Ukraine bundle will go to BlueCheck Ukraine.

Any purchase of digital WoW goods via Battle.net until August 29 will additionally allow players to donate to BlueCheck Ukraine at checkout, giving players who don't want the pet bundle or want to donate more than the bundle's $20 a way to do so.

Blizzard has partnered with Kunis, who was born in Ukraine, for the promotion. Best known for her roles in the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall and That '70s Show, Kunis hasn't been shy about her love of Blizzard's MMO over the years. She's mentioned it in various interviews over the course of her career, most recently while as a guest on the popular Hot Ones YouTube series.

"The people of Ukraine are in desperate need and BlueCheck does incredible work in providing resources quickly to local groups, including medical assistance, humanitarian aid, and everything in between," Kunis said in a press release. "The World of Warcraft community is the first gaming community I was ever a part of, with strangers who didn't care who or what I was--I know how giving they can be, and what they can achieve when we work together."

BlueCheck Ukraine was co-founded by actor Liev Schreiber in 2022 and works with various non-governmental organizations to "fast-track" aid to local humanitarian organizations in need. According to a press release, BlueCheck works with 20 local Ukrainian organizations in providing water, food, medicine, shelter, evacuations, unexploded ordnance removal, and special needs care for children and the elderly.

Blizzard is just one of many game developers that have sought to provide aid to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022. Epic Games announced last year that Fortnite players, alongside Xbox, had raised $144 million in relief funds. Riot Games announced last year that it had donated $5 million to the cause. Studios based in Poland, which borders Ukraine, have also looked to help. The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red donated the equivalent of $225,000 to a Poland-based humanitarian group aiding in Ukraine relief efforts, while indie studio 11 Bit Studios, developer of the anti-war survival simulator This War Of Mine, donated $700,000 to Ukrainian aid groups.

View the full article