Humble Bundle launches the $1M Black Game Developer Fund

Last week, Humble Bundle announced plans to set up a $1 million fund intended to help publish games by black developers. Today it officially unveiled the Black Game Developer Fund, an annual program that will provide "funding, production, and marketing support via Humble's publishing label."

"We want to help Black game developers to have increased access to funding and make great games. The fund is for developers who do not currently have a signed publishing agreement for a specific game," the FAQ states.

"We offer multiple ways we can support teams, from publishing your game, providing you funding to help you self-publish your game to giving you a startup fund to help you build a prototype to pitch. $1 Million is not a cap but a target. We may fund more or less depending on applications received. Funds are allocated based on the individual needs of the project and its projected success upon launch."

To qualify for the fund, studios must be at least 50 percent owned and operated by people of African origin, "irrespective of their citizenship and nationality." Humble is recruiting a panel of advisers from the black development community to assist in selecting games and providing feedback, and there's no restriction of the type of games that are eligible for funding, except that they be unreleased, including through early access.

Humble also said that other targeted funding programs could be in the works: "While we have no further announcements to share at this time, the Black Game Developer Fund is not the limit of our ambition on the topic of racial equity but a starting point. We appreciate your patience and support as we work to make progress."

Applications for funding consideration, either through the Black Game Developer Fund or Humble's standard publishing support program, can be made here.

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.