Ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd's death have had an impact on the video game industry, with companies delaying events like Sony's PlayStation 5 reveal in solidarity. On June 2, online retailer Humble Bundle announced it would be creating a $1 million fund to help publish games by Black developers, and today, the organization's indie arm Humble Games officially opened sign-ups for the Black Game Developer Fund.
The Black Game Developer Fund is an annual program, and to be eligible a developer must be "at least 50 percent owned and operated by people (or a person) of African origin" regardless of their citizenship and nationality according to an FAQ published by Humble Games. There are no restrictions based on audience, genre, or platform, and Humble Bundle specifies that the fund is for developers that do not already have a signed agreement.
Humble's FAQ says the $1 million is not a cap, so more or less could be allocated depending on the number of applicants, with the amount each applicant receives based on the needs and projected success of their game. It also says this is "not the limit of our ambition on the topic of racial equity," which is one of many social topics the publisher and storefront has tackled in recent months, like with its COVID-19 relief bundle.
On top of setting up this fund, Humble Games says it is recruiting a panel of advisors from the Black game developer community to provide feedback. Riot Games also donated $1 million recently through its Social Impact Fund to support racial injustice charities.