Gamers Can Help Save Whales and Dolphins This World Ocean Day

World Ocean Day is coming up on June 8, and once again, gamers are getting a unique chance to support marine life, all by playing and buying games they love. From June 5 to 12, Steam is hosting a special charity sale where proceeds will go to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), a group dedicated to protecting the ocean and the amazing creatures living in it.

Over 200 games will be part of this event, with discounts up to 90%. You’ll find a mix of popular titles and indie gems, including:

Not only do these discounts make for a great excuse to pick up some new titles, but a portion of every sale will go directly to WDC. This money supports programs like Safe Seas, which tackles real issues like ghost fishing gear, marine pollution, and the accidental capture of marine animals.

Since this Steam partnership began in 2022, over a million dollars has already been raised for ocean protection efforts, proof that the gaming community can make a real-world difference. WDC’s Sally Ward, head of digital partnerships, shared how meaningful this growing support has been, especially as more developers, streamers, and publishers join the movement each year.

The festival isn’t just about discounts either. Popular streamers will be broadcasting during the week, using their platforms to raise awareness and additional donations for WDC. These streams help spread the word far beyond the gaming community.

Why should we care about oceans and marine life? For starters, the ocean produces more oxygen and stores more carbon than all the world’s forests combined. Much of this is thanks to phytoplankton and marine vegetation. On top of that, whales help regulate the ecosystem by spreading nutrients, which in turn helps oxygen-producing plankton grow.

But right now, over 300,000 whales and dolphins die each year because they get caught in fishing gear. Ghost gear, fishing nets and tools lost or thrown away kills thousands of marine animals. In Europe alone, over 11,000 tonnes of this gear end up in the sea each year, about the same weight as the Eiffel Tower.

Games like Flooded drive home the point in creative ways. In it, players deal with rising sea levels caused by human impact. Its developer, Tymoteusz Piasek, said it only felt natural to partner with WDC, as the game already echoes the theme of environmental destruction.

If you're a gamer, this is one of those rare moments when doing what you love also supports a cause that affects everyone. So whether you're grabbing a copy of Among Us or exploring the haunting waters in Still Wakes The Deep, you’re not just playing, you’re protecting the ocean too.