Earlier in October, developer Ninja Theory announced plans to honor October 10’s World Mental Health Day by making donation to charity. All the proceeds made that day on the sale of their game, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, went to UK charity Rethink Mental Illness. Ninja Theory recently discussed the extent of the campaign’s success on their blog, revealing that they raised $80,000 (£60,798.80) for World Mental Health Day.
Ninja Theory co-founder and Chief Creative Ninja Tameem Antoniades commented on the campaign results in a published statement, saying, “We’re proud of our fans for showing their kindness towards others who, like our hero Senua, need our help and support to continue the good fight. Our donation to Rethink Mental Illness will impact many people’s lives in a meaningful way and help shed light on their darkness. Our small gesture has made a big difference. Thank you.”
For those who haven’t played Hellblade, Antoniades refers to protagonist Senua because the game follows her battle with mental illness and psychosis. Ninja Theory’s decision to honor World Mental Health Day is both unsurprising and important, as Senua’s psychosis and the game’s story was developed through the consultation of medical professionals and people living with mental illness.
Rethink Mental Illness, which “exists to support and campaign for those severely affected by mental illness,” also released a statement on the success of Hellblade’s campaign. Jemima Woolgar (Rethink Mental Illness Events & Community Fundraising Manager) said, “Your generous donation will make a big difference to the work that we do here at Rethink Mental Illness. The donation is the equivalent of employing two of our full-time colleagues to answer calls to our advice and information line, helping people newly diagnosed with mental illness get more information and support – which is fantastic.” You can learn more about Rethink Mental Illness here.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is available now for PC on Steam and for the PlayStation 4.