Belgium turns losing a life in games into saving lives in reality
Today on 13 August, International Day of Organ Donation, Belgium has turned one of gaming’s most common moments, losing a life, into a reminder that in the real world, you can give eight more.
The country’s new Virtual Donors campaign integrates organ donation directly into popular multiplayer games. In Minecraft, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Fortnite, players who register as real-world organ donors unlock a unique mod: when their character is eliminated, they gift eight extra lives to their teammates, reflecting the fact that one organ donor can save up to eight lives.
“Gamers lose lives all the time but only in pixels,” says Stephanie Keustermans, founder of non-profit Re-born to be Alive. “We wanted to turn that familiar moment into something that matters beyond the screen.”
A world-first for gaming and health campaigns
It’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.
Streamers lead the charge
Popular Belgian streamers are showcasing the mod live, including Rigor (Pieter Ongena), whose father received a donor organ and lived five more years as a result.
“In games, you get extra lives for free. In life, someone has to give them to you,” says Rigor.
From Belgium to the world
The Virtual Donors platform invites modders worldwide to create their own donor-themed mods for any game, spreading the message far beyond Belgium.
Sign up here as a donor and download the Virtual Donor mods at www.virtualdonors.org
About Reborn-to be Alive
Reborn-to be Alive is a Belgian non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness about organ donation through creative and culturally relevant projects. Virtual Donors is its latest campaign, designed to inspire younger generations to become donors. www.reborntobealive.be.
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CREDITS
Client: Re-born to be Alive
Clients: Raymond Van Ryckel, Stephanie Keustermans
Agency: AKQA Brussels
ECD: Peter Ampe
CD: John Benois, Kenn Van Lijsebeth
Creative team: Familie Leysen
Account team: Roozbeh Ahmadi
Design Director: Jan Sidgwick
Designer: Antoine Le Grelle
Head of Digital: Joachim François
Social Lead: Evelien Peeters
UX Designer: Wies Dickens
Web Development: Arno Van Biesen, Sebastiaan Weytjens, Judith Bosmans
Technical producer: Gregory Pin
Head of Productions: Olivia Naudts
Producer: Thomas Taeymans
Post Production: AKQA Productions
Videographer: Sam De Backer
Editor: Sam De Backer & Ward Geerts
Head of PR: Anneleen Coppens
Senior PR manager NL: Astrid Jacobs
Senior PR manager FR: Alexandra Goffart
Special thanks to:
Tim Holland (Development Baldur’s Gate 3 Mod)
Euphoriax - Rune Vanhoucke & Aeon Bonjé (Development Fortnite Mod)
Damien & Hugues De Lombaert (Development Minecraft Mod)
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