ESA Foundation Raises $1.15 Million With Nite to Unite

The latest Nite to Unite fundraiser raised $1.15 cardinal to enactment undergraduate scholarships and grants for tomorrow's crippled makers. It besides recognized Unity’s Unity for Humanity programme with the 2026 Champion Award.

"Unity for Humanity was started aft we saw thing almighty happening: creators weren’t conscionable utilizing Unity to marque games. They were gathering existent tools for education, communities, health, accessibility, and clime change, and they needed much than conscionable bundle to crook those ideas into impact," said Raphael Ruland, SVP and CRO for Games astatine Unity. "We backmost creators who are utilizing Unity to marque a affirmative quality successful the world. This grant genuinely belongs to them, and we’re committed to helping them marque their interaction adjacent bigger."

iCivics, a nonprofit enactment that aims to springiness young radical a civics acquisition done video games, was besides honored and took location the Impact Award. It volition besides person a $50,000 assistance from the ESA Foundation to enactment the adoption of its astir caller game, Investigation Declaration.

Since 1994 the ESA Foundation has raised implicit $24 cardinal to enactment the adjacent procreation of crippled makers with grants and scholarships, and by supporting organizations that bash the same. The scholarships connected connection see the Computer and Video Games Arts and Sciences Scholarship and the Esports Scholarship. Applications for scholarships unfastened connected April 1, 2026 and are unfastened to precocious schoolhouse seniors and undergraduates.

“The ESA Foundation is perpetually inspired by the young professionals bringing caller perspectives to the video games industry,” said ESA Foundation Lead Sue Madden. “Our assistance programs don’t conscionable supply fiscal support, they unfastened caller opportunities, foster mentorship, and assistance students find the skills and assurance they request to marque their people successful the industry.”

IGN Entertainment was the Exclusive Media Sponsor of Nite to Unite 2026.

Rachel Weber is the Head of Editorial Development astatine IGN and an elder millennial. She's been a nonrecreational nerd since 2006 erstwhile she got her commencement connected Official PlayStation Magazine successful the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, fearfulness movies, fearfulness games, Red Dead Redemption 2, and her Love and Deepspace boyfriends.