Square Enix Promotes Mental Health Awareness Program With Life Is Strange

This week will mark the return of the Life Is Strange series, with the first of three episodes of the new season, Before the Storm, set to make its premiere at the end of this week. But that isn’t stopping Square Enix from trying to do some good with the forthcoming game.

The publisher has announced a new promotion, in which it plans to donate up to $25,000 towards the Jed Foundation that ties in with the forthcoming release of Before the Storm. Called the “Your Friend, Me” campaign, it’s an attempt by the company to celebrate “the power and importance of friendship,” and they’re prompting fans to put together and post short videos talking about how true friends have impacted their lives. It also encourages these users to sign off the video like you would a letter, with “Your friend” and the name of the poster.

For each video that’s shared using the #LifeIsStrange and #YourFriendMe hashtags on social media, Square Enix will donate $5 to The Jed Foundation, for a total of up to $25,000. The company has already begun the program, with a number of video stations set in the publisher’s booth at this week’s GameStop 2017 Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Jed Foundation is the ideal one for a game such as this, since it pledges support for assisting with emotional health and protecting teens and young adults from potential suicide.

More details about the promotion can be found on the official “Your Friend, Me” site, which explains the full rules and details.

A special event will also be held at PAX West this week, featuring the talent from What’s Good Games, along with the developers from Deck Nine Games. Those that are interested in attending can RSVP here on Facebook. It takes place on Friday, September 1st, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Unicorn on 1118 E. Pike Street. Admission is free, but RSVP’ing is encouraged.

As for Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, you’ll be able to check it out on August 31st for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. If you’re a fan of the first series, there’s no question this is a must-play.