Belgium NGO launches world-first gaming campaign for organ donation

Belgium has launched Virtual Donors, a world-first campaign that integrates organ donation directly into popular multiplayer games, including Minecraft, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Fortnite. Players who register as real-life organ donors via virtualdonors.org unlock a special mod: when their character is eliminated, they gift eight extra lives to teammates, symbolising the fact that one donor can save up to eight lives.

Created by non-profit Re-born to be Alive, the initiative uses a familiar gaming moment – losing a life – to spark real-world impact.

Stephanie Keustermans, founder, non-profit Re-born to be Alive: “Gamers lose lives all the time but only in pixels. We wanted to turn that familiar moment into something that matters beyond the screen.”

t’s the first time organ donation has been woven into multiplayer gameplay. Players register via virtualdonors.org, then get access to the mod(s) to start saving lives both in-game and in real life.

Belgium already has an opt-out system for organ donation, but explicit registration remains crucial: families can still overrule the decision if it’s not officially recorded. Right now, 1,474 people in Belgium are waiting for a life-saving transplant.

Popular Belgian streamers, including Rigor (Pieter Ongena), are championing the mod, sharing personal stories to highlight its significance. The campaign also invites modders worldwide to create donor-themed integrations for other games, extending the message far beyond Belgium.

Credits: https://marketingreport.one/