The COVID-19 pandemic has hit most countries and just about every industry by now, with far-reaching effects across the globe. The gaming industry is similarly affected, with delays and cancellations all over, but some companies are likely less imperiled than others, and now Rockstar is giving back.
As of today, Rockstar Games will be donating 5% of its revenue gained from in-game purchases to various relief efforts helping those hit hardest by the economic downturn the coronavirus has caused. This means Gold purchases in Red Dead Online and Shark Card purchases in GTA Online will be helping critical industries and independent businesses stay on their feet.
Many people have switched over to a home-office setup, provided their occupation allows them to work from home. This also typically means that many players are spending significantly more time at home and have additional time to play on their hands. For others, strict quarantine measures have led to unemployment and financial instability.
With more players spending more time in Red Dead Online, it almost guarantees that Gold and Shark Card sales will spike. This means Rockstar isn't taking a hit - quite the opposite in fact - putting them in an ideal position to help out those less fortunate.
While this announcement was made on the 1st of April, it's no April Fool's joke. That would be the re-introduction of snow to Red Dead Online and GTA Online today. With the entire frontier covered in Snow, now is a perfect time to head online with your friends and play together while staying apart to help fight the pandemic the only way most of us can - by staying at home.
If you've been on the fence about buying into Rockstar's microtransactions before, maybe now is the time to pull that particular trigger, since it's for a good cause.
