This weekend sees the 16th annual GameBlast stream on Twitch kick off, with hundreds of streamers playing their little hearts out to raise money for charity.
The event was set up to support SpecialEffect – a charity that helps disabled gamers play in ways that are comfortable for them, by designing and building personalised gaming rigs.
With over 150 broadcasters taking part in the event, there’s something for everyone, with many gamers dedicating themselves to 24 hour streams over the weekend. You can check out a full directory of everyone taking part here.
One of the streamers is Jeff Simpkins, who took part in last year’s event and is hoping to raise even more money this year.
We asked Jeff why he’s taking part:
I love gaming, it’s the real reason I am doing all this. I personally use gaming as a way to relax and forget about whatever has gone on at work… I feel it’s something everyone should be able to do. People with disabilities are sometimes excluded from everyday activities that you and me take for granted. However with the help of Special Effect, gaming is no longer one of those things. It’s all about inclusion and fun.
Jeff’s channel will have special guests including Turps from The Yogscast, Music from The Half Earth, videos from Go Creative, DZ Live taking them through the night, and then the guys from Excel Esports playing Halo on Sunday. It kicks off at 6pm on Saturday and you can watch it all here.
You can check out more about the event and find out more about SpecialEffect through this link.
Mark is the Gaming Editor for UNILAD. Having grown up a gaming addict, he’s been deeply entrenched in culture and spends time away from work playing as much as possible. Mark studied music at University and found a love for journalism through going to local gigs and writing about them for local and national publications.