Winners revealed for the first-ever Playing for the Planet awards

The winners of the first-ever Playing for the Planet Awards have been revealed.

Run by the Playing for the Planet Alliance, this year's awards celebrated games studios leading in sustainability, climate, and environmental efforts. It also highlighted the work of developers and individuals setting examples for the broader industry.

The event featured 13 categories and recognised nominees for their contributions in areas like storytelling, green technology to reduce energy costs, and efforts toward decarbonisation.

Gameloft’s Dragon Mania Legends and Trailmix’s Love & Pies each won two awards. Dragon Mania Legends earned recognition for its Eco Quest - Battery Recycling Edition event, which engaged over 240,000 players and saw 25,000 players complete all milestones. 

Love & Pies was honoured for a 21-day event that allowed players to unlock stories from fans and activists, while also promoting real-world actions, with over 250 players participating and sharing photos of their community impact.

Playing for the Planet Awards 2024 winners: 

• UNEP’s Choice - Dragon Mania Legends
• Media’s Choice - PUBG Mobile
• Call to Action - Love & Pies
• Trailblazer - Love & Pies
• Newcomer - FarmVille 3
• Jam Spirit - June’s Journey
• Player’s Choice - Hay Day
• Google’s Choice Award - Dragon Mania Legends
• Best Purpose-Driven Game - Longleaf Valley
• Best Green Activation - Minecraft, Urban Miner 
• Best Green Tech - For Honor 
• Changemaker Award - Mojang Studios 
• Champion Award - Jennifer Estaris and Jude Ower MBE

"Inspiring level of engagement"

“The Playing for the Planet Green Game Jam provided a unique opportunity for us to connect with our players on a deeply meaningful topic that matters to us all,” said head of PUBG Mobile Publishing Vincent Wang. 

“Following the activation, we saw an inspiring level of engagement from our community, with many players taking green actions and feeling motivated to continue making positive environmental choices." 

Sam Barratt, chief of the youth, education and advocacy unit within the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) added: “More and more, we’re seeing evidence that gamers want studios to take notice of how they make a meaningful impact in the world outside the entertainment value of video games.

"In response, a new culture seems to be emerging within the industry where studios are exploring how to add more purpose to their games, which is really encouraging.”