Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in-game bundle raises $1.6 million for LA Fire Relief

In just two weeks, the sales from a special operator bundle in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone raised $1.6 million from the community for LA Wildfire relief. Activision, the Microsoft-owned publisher of Call of Duty, has also donated an additional $1 million to the cause. The money raised is being split between the LAFD Foundation and Direct Relief. The LA Fire Relief operator bundle was available through the in-game Call of Duty store for 2400 COD points.

Activision headquarters and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 lead developers Treyarch Studios are stationed in Santa Monica. The area was at risk from the nearby Palisades Fire, which resulted in evacuations and curfews. While Santa Monica escaped damage from the deadly fires, some of Activision's employees were directly affected by the blazes. In a LinkedIn post, Activision committed to continued support of its employees who were impacted by the fires.

The LA Wildfires began on January 7, starting with a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades. Bolstered by hurricane-force winds and an extended drought, the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire, and more than 30 other wildfires burned across 40,000 acres across Los Angeles County. More than 16,000 structures were reportedly destroyed by the fires, including more than a thousand century-old homes with rich historical backgrounds. The fires were only recently contained, having burned for 24 days. At least 29 people have died as a result of the LA Wildfires.

The $2.6 million total in donations from Activision and the Call of Duty community are set to go to two different foundations: The LAFD Foundation and Direct Relief. Direct Relief is a humanitarian charity providing medical aid, emergency funding, and resilient power solutions in the wake of the LA wildfires. The charity provides disaster responders and healthcare professionals with backup power units and specialized wildfire kits, N95 masks, and other medications and first-aid supplies.

Direct Relief has made 2.3 million N95 respirators available to those affected in Los Angeles County. The charity also opened evacuation shelters and community health centers.

The LAFD Foundation, while not associated with the Los Angeles Fire Department, is a 501(c)(3) charity that provides equipment and funding for the LAFD in Los Angeles. The charity provides equipment for firefighters and helps to replace outdated equipment, as well as cancer prevention equipment to remove toxic contaminants from firefighting gear. The LAFD Foundation further supports firefighters with behavior health and canine therapy, as well as youth programs. According to the LAFD Foundation, just 3% of Los Angeles' city budget is allocated "for everything from fire engines to flashlights."

In its statement on LinkedIn, Activision posted, "We know the journey to resuming some normalcy in Los Angeles is going to be a long one. Thank you to our first responders for their heroic actions, and to our employees for stepping up for each other in big ways."