First Playing for the Planet Awards Honor Minecraft, PUBG Mobile, and Other Green Games

The winners of the inaugural Playing for the Planet Awards have been announced, recognizing outstanding contributions by game studios toward sustainability and environmental action. Among the top winners were PUBG Mobile, Minecraft, and Dragon Mania Legends, which received accolades for their innovative efforts to address climate and ecological issues within their games. (Thanks Pocketgamer.biz)

Organized by the Playing for the Planet Alliance in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the awards aim to highlight the gaming industry’s role in promoting environmental awareness and action. The event featured 13 categories, with nominees selected for their achievements in areas such as storytelling, decarbonization efforts, and the integration of green technologies to reduce energy consumption.

Standout Winners

Dragon Mania Legends, developed by Gameloft, was one of the most recognized titles of the night. It earned the UNEP’s Choice Award and Google’s Choice Award for its Eco Quest – Battery Recycling Edition. This event engaged over 240,000 players, with 25,000 completing all milestones, raising awareness about battery recycling.

Trailmix’s Love & Pies also performed exceptionally well, winning the Call to Action and Trailblazer awards. Its 21-day event empowered players to share fan stories and real-world actions, with over 250 participants highlighting their contributions to community improvement.

Minecraft was celebrated for its Urban Miner initiative, which won the Best Green Activation award. In partnership with Elkjøp Nordic, the largest consumer electronics retailer in the Nordic countries, this initiative rewards Minecraft players with in-game currency, Minecoins, for returning their e-waste.

PUBG Mobile claimed the Media’s Choice Award, showcasing its efforts to inspire players toward greener actions.

Full List of Winners and Nominees

UNEP’s Choice

• Winner: Dragon Mania Legends
• Nominees: Carbon Island, EverForest, June’s Journey, Sky Farm Island

Media’s Choice

• Winner: PUBG Mobile
• Nominees: Hay Day, June’s Journey, Love & Pies, Orna: A Fantasy RPG and GPS MMO

Call to Action

• Winner: Love & Pies
• Nominees: FarmVille 3, Klondike Adventures, PUBG Mobile, Sky Farm Island

Trailblazer

• Winner: Love & Pies
• Nominees: FarmVille 3, June’s Journey, Orna: A Fantasy RPG and GPS MMO, PUBG Mobile

Newcomer

• Winner: FarmVille 3
• Nominees: Merge Mansion, New World, Orna: A Fantasy RPG and GPS MMO, PUBG Mobile

Jam Spirit

• Winner: June’s Journey
• Nominees: Hungry Shark World, My Talking Tom Friends

Player’s Choice

• Winner: Hay Day
• Nominees: June’s Journey, Love & Pies, PUBG Mobile, Top Eleven 2024

Google’s Choice Award

• Winner: Dragon Mania Legends
• Nominees: FarmVille 3, GamePoint Bingo, Hungry Shark World, Subway Surfers

Best Purpose-Driven Game

• Winner: Longleaf Valley
• Nominees: Beecarbonize, Crab God, Fathomverse: Explore the Depths, Monument Valley 3

Changemaker Award

• Winner: Mojang Studios
• Nominees: Chaos Theory Games, Google, Rare Games, Terragami

Best Green Tech

• Winner: For Honor
• Nominees: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, EAX, Moonwakers: Episode 01, Ultros

Champion Award

• Winner: Jennifer Estgaris and Jude Ower MBE
• Nominees: Galina Fedulova, Laura Carter, Nico King

Best Green Activation

• Winner: Minecraft – Urban Miner
• Nominees: Crab God, Minecraft – Frozen Planet II, Minecraft – Microsoft x C40, Minecraft – UNESCO Greening Education Partnership

Inspiring Change in Gaming

The Playing for the Planet Awards illustrates how the gaming industry can inspire meaningful environmental action while entertaining millions of players. Facilitated by UNEP and supported by major players like Sony, Microsoft, and Ubisoft, this initiative reflects a growing movement toward sustainability in the gaming world.

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