EVE Online community raises $120k for family of fallen developer

Before Christmas CCP Games, developer of EVE Online, put out a statement lamenting the loss of senior software engineer known by the company and community as CCP Blaze, who passed away while on holiday celebrating his recent engagement. In response to this devastating news, CCP created a skin set which players could purchase. All proceeds would go directly to supporting CCP Blaze’s wife and daughter.

CCP often uses EVE Online to raise funds for good causes, thanks to the company’s ability to easily convert PLEX (an in-game currency representing game time) to real world currency. In this instance the community donated 3,730,320 PLEX, which translates to $119,828.50 USD and 620 years worth of EVE Online game time. This despite the fact the skins were only available for one week, shortly before Christmas.

“The response was astonishing, unparalleled in the history of fundraisers hosted by CCP, and incredibly humbling,” says CCP Falcon, head of community, in a blog post. “To put the numbers into perspective, this is the second largest CCP hosted fundraiser that the EVE Community has contributed to, eclipsing all but one of the PLEX for GOOD drives in just seven days.

“It’s honestly not possible for us to find words that would accurately convey the gratitude we feel to our pilots. Once again, the EVE Community has shown that despite differences in game, our pilots are a formidable, and indestructible force for good.”