Get your head in the game: Esports community rallies for men’s mental health

Over a September weekend in Dallas, Texas, 25,900 gaming fans came together in-person and online to support men’s mental health. OpTic Gaming hosted their second annual Off-Season event, bringing together tens of thousands to rally around the cause and compete in an epic weekend of gaming. OpTic Presenting sponsor and Movember partner, Pringles, was also there in full-force, with Mr. P and his most-esteemed moustache in tow, hosting a tournament and helping to raise funds for men’s mental health. Over the course of the two-day event, Pringles surprised fans with a matching donation, helping to raise over $215,000 for Movember’s men’s health programs.

Creative director and content creator, Davis “Hitch” Edwards, of OpTic Gaming served as the weekend’s host. “When I realized that I was going to host the event, I picked a charity that meant the most to me. What resonated with me most was men’s mental health. Mental health has meant a lot to me and has affected a lot of people around me,” shared Davis in a sit-down interview.

Losing his father to suicide, opened Davis’ eyes to the importance of these conversations. “What I’m trying to accomplish is men’s health and mental health awareness – that it’s okay to talk. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s good to come together in a positive light and show that the gaming scene does really care about mental health. Sometimes we have a tendency as gamers to lock ourselves in our room and let our thoughts run a little wild. So, it’s okay to ask for help and take good care of your body, not only in the physical sense, but a mental and spiritual sense as well.”

Getting Pringles in the mix made things all the more meaningful. “From one moustachioed aficionado to another, it’s not just moustaches that Pringles and Movember have in common. There is a shared goal to increase awareness around mental wellness and inspire connection” said Mauricio Jenkins, Pringles U.S. lead. As a global Movember partner, Pringles has helped to raise over $1 million in support of Movember’s mission since the partnership began.

The goal of this year’s partnership with both Movember and OpTic is to level-up conversations about mental wellness and the importance of checking in on friends and family. “We know esports is a strong community. Our goal is to help create spaces for gamers to have real “Can”versations and to give back to a great cause.”

Over $200,000 raised, thousands of connections made, and countless conversations started – all made possible by the gaming community, OpTic Gaming and Pringles.

Join Pringles, Movember and the gaming community in helping start meaningful conversations today. Find out more about streaming for Movember to help raise funds for game-changing men’s health projects.