World Health Organization Wants You To Stay Home And Play Video Games During Quarantine

One day, we’ll look back on the coronavirus pandemic in awe at the sheer amount of video games we played. 

For years, my backlog of games has grown and grown. Now, I have been given strict orders to get through them: the World Health Organization actually wants all of us to stay inside and play video games.

The WHO has partnered with a number of studios, from Activision to Blizzard, to encourage people to self-isolate with the comfort of video gaming (with special events and rewards on the horizon). Riot Games’s account said it best: ‘Games are a unique way to stay connected with friends and family, even if we can’t be together physically.’

Together, they’ve launched #PlayApartTogether – a brilliant campaign focused on properly advising people on how to follow crucial health guidelines amid the outbreak, while assuring people they can still have social communication and joy through the medium of games.

Ray Chambers, United States Ambassador to the WHO, said in a statement: ‘I thank the games industry for stepping up to help bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope this campaign to #PlayApartTogether encourages even more people to stay safe and healthy while they help flatten the curve and save lives.’

People are clearly taking heed of the campaign already: in its first 10 days, Call of Duty: Warzone amassed a whopping 30 million players. Just this weekend, March 28/29, Steam achieved an all-time record, with more than 23 million players logged in.

Be sensible, stay home, play games, ‘git gud’.