Call of Duty Outback Relief Pack raises $1.6M to combat Australian bushfires

Australia entered the new year ablaze, with fires ravaging much of the country's east coast. Though international attention is now focused on the spreading coronavirus (it's been quite the start to a new year), bushfires are still wreaking havoc -- huge fires are currently raging in the Australian Capital Territory, near the capital of Canberra. Charity organizations have received help from around the world, now including one unlikely source: Call of Duty.

Infinity Ward, the company behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, released a DLC for the game in January called the Relief Pack. Costing around $18 (it can only be bought with Call of Duty points), it included skins, charms, badges and other outback-themed cosmetics. On Jan. 12, Infinity Ward announced that 100% of the profits from sales through to Jan. 31 would be donated to a charity involved in the bushfire crisis.

On Monday Activision , Infinity Ward's parent company, announced via a blog post that $1.6 million had been raised and donated to Direct Relief. Direct Relief is a California-based charity that's helping by sending breathing masks to those areas where bushfires have made the air poisonous to breathe in.

"This was an astounding act of generosity on the part of Activision and the larger Call of Duty community, and we at Direct Relief are deeply grateful," said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief President & CEO, in a statement.

The bushfires have thus far killed 33 people, and burned more than 11 million hectares (27.2 million acres) of land. If you're interested in learning more about the fires, or how you can help, check out this explainer.

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