During this year's Extra Life, GameSpot is introducing several new post-launch changes, including a battle pass. For more immediate gratification, however, you can donate to the stream this year through a loot box microdonation.
Like the battle pass, GameSpot's loot boxes are exclusively tied to this year's Extra Life event, so you'll have to tune in and watch if you want to donate and win one of its prizes. As per tradition, the Extra Life stream will continue for 72 hours. It will go live--alongside the new battle pass and loot boxes--on October 25 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM BST, which is October 26 at 6 AM AEST.
Though the battle pass is where you'll find the most grandiose rewards--such as eating challenges and new legendary cosmetic skins for certain GameSpot staff members--there are numerous other prizes to unlock via a loot box microdonation. Don't worry, they're not predatory at all. Our very own executive fiduciary intern, Michael T. Ransactions, assured the rest of GameSpot staff that our new surprise mechanics are very fair.
GameSpot's loot boxes are very straightforward. When tuning into Extra Life, every $30 USD donation will also earn you a loot box--the contents of which are left up to chance. Of course, you can buy as many microdonations as you want. If you want to go ahead and donate $90 USD to unlock three boxes, we won't stop you.
So what can you earn in a GameSpot loot box? Plenty. You can nab the new voice pack that changes GameSpot staff members' accents, for example. Or you might win the chance to watch us read, live on stream, through our cringe-inducing Facebook posts from our middle school and high school days. The rest of the possible rewards are outlined below. We don't go into all the specifics (like every possible skin and emote you can unlock) just to keep the list manageable and to make it more fun. To see every reward, you'll have to tune in to Extra Life 2019.
GameSpot's microdonations are dedicated to improving and enriching the lives of others. All money spent on the loot boxes will be donated to the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, which has a dedicated and passionate team of doctors, nurses, and other staff devoted to helping kids. By partaking in these limited-time microdonations, you will be helping them and the children they care for.
TLDR: GameSpot is doing Extra Life again this year and we're using the concept of loot boxes as the framework for donation incentives. Donate to help the kids!