Charity bundle hosted by Necrosoft Games nears $200,000 goal to support workers affected by layoffs

Necrosoft Games is running a charity bundle on itch.io that has already cleared $169,000 and is closing in on a $200,000 goal. The bundle includes 127 titles and costs a minimum of $10, with the sale ending August 13.

The money is going to the United Videogame Workers (UVW-CWA) hardship fund, which launched on July 6 and is designed to help workers dealing with layoffs or other sudden hardships. The fund is open to affected workers regardless of union membership, and it can cover everything from groceries and rent to medical bills and moving costs.

For developers, this is a concrete example of the industry building its own safety net when studio cuts ripple through teams and families. The fund has two tiers: a Small Fund that can provide up to $1,000, and a Major Expenses Tier that ranges from $1,000 to $5,000, supported in part by UVW-CWA membership fees.

The timing matters too. Bethesda Game Studios union OneBGS recently said a member used the fund for moving expenses after the mass layoffs at Xbox affected 440 union members. That makes the bundle more than a feel-good fundraiser; it’s a direct response to the kind of instability that can hit anyone in production, art, design, or support roles with little warning.