Subway Surfers adds J Balvin to roster to combat climate change

SYBO, the co-developer of popular endless runner Subway Surfers, today announced it’s adding a new face to the game’s list of playable characters: Reggaeton musician J Balvin. SYBO partnered with PlanetPlay, a climate-conscious games marketplace on the project, and some proceeds from purchases with Balvin’s avatar will go towards offsetting carbon emissions. Balvin’s avatar will be available to play from November 1-19.

According to SYBO and PlanetPlay, a portion of the proceeds made from in-game character purchases of Balvin’s character go to Kenya’s Hongera Clean Cookstove Project. This nonprofit reduces carbon emissions by distributing energy-efficient cookstoves to regions in Kenya. A limited-edition T-shirt will be available to purchase in-game bundled with “a variable carbon emissions reduction starting at a minimum of 100 kg CO2.” According to PlanetPlay, the merch design changes depending on how big the amount of carbon emission reduction the player purchases.