Children of Morta's new DLC is raising money for the Humane Society

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11 Bit Studios and Dead Mage are raising funds for the Humane Society International charity with the new Paws and Claws DLC for the all-the-family action-RPG Children of Morta. The DLC will add a range of animals to the game including deer, foxes, and various sorts of birds, and an Animal Shelter system and location that will enable players to take care of them in exchange for bonuses in combat.

The newly-added animals will just kind of hang out like they own the place, as pets often do, and sometimes you won't see them at all because they'll be out wandering around in the jungle. But unlike most pets, who typically just eat, poop, and get hair all over everything, these beasts also have some practical value, as higher levels of happiness—which can be raised from Normal to Happy, Excited, or Overjoyed by giving them treats that will drop from dungeon chests—will confer newly-added "boosts" to Critical Chance, Movement Speed, XP Gain, Luck, and Dodge Chance.

All proceeds raised by the sale of the Paws and Claws DLC will go to the Humane Society International, a charity that works "to promote the human-animal bond, rescue and protect dogs and cats, improve farm animal welfare, protect wildlife, promote animal-free testing and research, respond to natural disasters and confront cruelty to animals in all of its forms."

"Paws and Claws is the kind of content that embraces the meaningfulness that we’re often pouring into our games," Children of Morta producer Karol Kala said. "Animals are a big part of the original Children of Morta story, so enriching relationships with them in the game felt natural. And collaborating with an organization like Humane Society International perfectly fits 11 bit studios’ mindset since we believe that a company producing meaningful games should also act meaningfully."

This isn't the first time 11 Bit has released charity-focused DLC for one of its games: The War Child DLC for This War of Mine, released in 2015, has raised more than $500,000 for the UK-based charity War Child, which supports children impacted by wars around the world.

Children of Morta also got a Treasure Pack update today, free for all players, that includes six new Divine Graces, eight new Consumables, and 12 Divine Relics.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.