Today, Team Xbox is excited to celebrate Earth Day. Our mission is to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. We also recognize the impact that gaming has on our environment. Microsoft has set ambitious commitments to significantly reduce the company’s environmental impact and operate as a carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste company by 2030. In support of this, Xbox is also working to reduce its negative environmental impact while continuing to produce the high-quality gaming products and experiences our fans know and love.
Team Xbox is making changes across all stages of the product lifecycle in order to meet our corporate sustainability commitments. You can read more about these efforts and what you can do to help reduce your impact in our recent Xbox Sustainability wire post.
To find more ways you can reduce your impact on the environment while playing in the Xbox ecosystem, check out what you can do in our latest blog post. We also recently launched our all new Xbox Sustainability Hub. We invite the community to visit and stay current with the latest updates from Xbox.
We look forward to celebrating all that Xbox is doing to drive change and make positive impact in sustainable gaming. Here are some of the ways that team Xbox is celebrating and increasing environmental awareness on Earth Day:
Gaming and Impact with Microsoft Rewards: World Wildlife Fund, Water.org, and The Nature Conservancy
Microsoft Rewards members in the United States can earn and donate points to support select environmental organizations with Xbox. The below organizations will be featured on console throughout April:
- World Wildlife Fund – As the world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in nearly 100 countries. At every level, they collaborate with people around the world to develop and deliver innovative solutions that protect communities, wildlife, and the places in which they live. Their mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
- Water.org – 1 in 10 people lack access to safe water and 1 in 4 people lack access to a toilet. Water.org is a global nonprofit organization working to change this. They help people living in poverty get access to safe water and sanitation at home – giving women hope, children health and families a bright future.
- The Nature Conservancy – The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Their mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.
- Additionally, for every dollar that Microsoft Rewards donates in April, The Nature Conservancy will plant a tree as part of their Plant A Billion Trees program. Learn more about this program here and plant your tree today!
Xbox gamers can earn Microsoft Rewards points in various ways, such as playing or purchasing games after downloading the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. Earn points and redeem them for real rewards. Join us today and donate through Xbox.
Xbox Plays Celebrating Earth Day week with Streamer Takeovers
During the week of April 18 through 22, the Xbox Twitch Channel celebrated Earth Day by featuring environmentally focused streamer takeovers.
Explore Amazing Worlds This Earth Day with Xbox Game Pass
While many fans continue to experience widespread social distancing and isolation, we invite our Xbox community to explore amazing worlds through gaming! From building, crafting, or exploration on earth or other worlds, Xbox Game Pass has created an Earth Day inspired collection. Other games feature survival themes in challenging environments and elements of creating or caring for life in sustainable ways. Enjoy exploring!
Featured Games
- Jurassic World Evolution (Cloud, Console): Bioengineer dinosaurs that think, feel and react intelligently to the world around them and face threats posed by espionage, breakouts and devastating tropical storms in an uncertain world where life always finds a way.
- Subnautica: Below Zero (Cloud, Console, PC): Dive into a freezing underwater adventure on an alien planet. Below Zero is set two years after the original Subnautica. Return to Planet 4546B to uncover the truth behind a deadly cover-up. Survive by building habitats, crafting tools, & diving deeper into the world of Subnautica.
- Craftopia (Cloud, Console, PC): Arrive at a small island packed with animals, resources, and infinite possibilities. What you do in this game is completely up to you—gathering resources, harvesting crops, automating productions, fighting against bosses, capturing enemies, building a lovely house, unlocking new islands, exploring the world, and more! What will you do when you can do anything you’ve ever dreamt?
- Fe (Console, PC): Discover a world you will never want to leave. Run, climb, and glide your way through a dark Nordic forest to explore its living, breathing world – one filled with secrets, legends, and mystical creatures.
Platform and game availability will vary by region. Learn more about platform and game availability.
Minecraft Celebrates Earth Day with New Recycled and Organic Content Product, Learning Content, and Build Challenges
In celebration of Earth Day, Mojang Studios is launching new learning content and a monthly build challenge for Minecraft: Education Edition. Classrooms around the world are tuning in for virtual lessons where students meet sustainability experts and explore Climate Futures, a set of Minecraft worlds created in partnership with Met Office. Microsoft and Xbox worked with the UK Government’s Environment Agency to develop a flood preparedness world for Minecraft: Education Edition, which was also launched in UK schools this month. Mojang is also launching a new Earth Day collection of products on Minecraftshop.com that are made from organic or recycled content, including a new Minecraft playset by Mattel. Mattel shares our sustainable vision by highlighting that the new Minecraft Transforming Turtle Hideout Playset is made from a minimum of 20 percent recycled ocean-bound plastic. Find more activities for Earth Day with Minecraft.
Hog Wild Nameplate for Halo: The Master Chief Collection
In Halo: The Master Chief Collection, our players can customize their profile with special nameplates commemorating in-game activities or celebrating special events. To bring awareness to the celebration of Earth Day, any players who log in from April 20 to 27 will receive this special ‘Hog Wild’ nameplate, a not-so-subtle nod to the Warthog vehicle!
Celebrate Earth Day with Forza
Inspired by Xbox’s Earth Day and sustainability visual design, this chameleon-themed livery (with polychromatic rims) adorns the 2015 BMW i8, a hybrid, plug-in electric vehicle. The Earth Day livery is being gifted today to players in Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Horizon 4. Keep an eye on the Forza Horizon Twitter to see when it’s been delivered to your in-game Message Center.
In Forza Motorsport 7, players will receive the same car and themed livery, as well as rare Earth Day-themed driver gear, by participating in the “Celebrate Earth Day” Rivals event set on the picturesque rolling hills of Virginia International Raceway. The event ends April 26th.
Obsidian’s Grounded Celebrates Earth Day with Art Contest and T-Shirt Sales Benefiting Captain Planet Foundation!
For Earth Day, Grounded hosted the #FrankenArtContest benefitting the Captain Planet Foundation! During this event, we asked our community to create a design worthy of being printed on a t-shirt using the in-game Frankenline. The finalists are announced, and the winners’ voting will happen live at PAX at the Main Theater and on Twitch! Everyone can tune in on April 23 at 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT to watch the vote and check out upcoming unreleased content to the game. Which design will be placed on a t-shirt and sold in our store, with proceeds going to the Captain Planet Foundation? Check out the PAX panel live to find out! Learn more about the contest and read the rules here. Buy your Grounded Gear here!
Age of Empires Honors the History of Earth Day
Over the last few decades, sustainability has become a relevant topic discussed across the globe. An urgency to protect the world’s resources, habitats and ecosystems has rapidly increased as the impacts of global climate change and finite resources become more noticeable with each passing day. International Mother Earth Day was established as a day to recognize, educate and urge people to act, protect, and respect the nature surrounding them. Learn more about International Mother Earth Day with Age of Empires as they explore how the world is standing united to save our planet.
Microsoft Casual Games Celebrates Earth’s Beauty
This month we celebrate our vast and unique planet, and those who work to care for and sustain its health and beauty for generations to enjoy. Experience panoramas of our world through the brilliant brush strokes of artists who have captured its beauty in the newest Microsoft Jigsaw collection – Earth on Canvas. Click here for collection details. To learn more about Microsoft’s commitment to Sustainability and how you can contribute through your own conservation efforts, click here.
Xbox Honors Earth Day with a New Gamerpic, Profile Theme, and Avatar Items!
In partnership with the Sustainability team at Xbox, we’re introducing a new gamerpic, profile themes, and avatar items! The gamerpic and profile theme will be available on console and the Xbox PC app. The profile theme and gamerpic will be visible on all platforms (including mobile and Game Bar), but gamers can change the profile theme on the console and the Xbox app on PC. Get your avatar items here.
We invite you to join us on our continued journey and learn more about Xbox’s sustainability efforts at our all-new Sustainability Hub.
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