ArenaNet Shares PSA and Plans for Suicide Prevention Month
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. To help raise awareness of the serious thing suicide is, ArenaNet has teamed up with Seize the Awkward, The Jed Foundation, and the Ad Council to help invite everyone to reach out to their friends who may be struggling with mental health. This is especially important during this pandemic where people are social distancing and often becoming isolated.
In addition, Guild Wars 2 players can find in-game goodies like the Seize the Awkward logo t-shirt and a special potion that gives your character the iconic yellow speech bubble. These will be available from the Gem Store in-game until September 29.
Thirdly, ArenaNet and Ad Council will be hosting the virtual Build Your Guild: Make and Support Friends in Gaming panel on September 12 as part of PAX. The virtual panel will be available on Twitch and run from 5-6 PM PT. There will be a conversation about gaming communities and mental health featuring members of the Guild Wars family and Dr. Christine Moutier, AFSP’s Chief Medical Officer. They’ll share ways to build friendships, get to know others, and how to support each other in-game.
Finally, everyone is invited to share words of encouragement with #GuildWars2 and #SeizeTheAwkward on social media to then be collected on this website. You can also learn more about Seize the Awkward on their website.