The Russian mobile developer Pixonic has incorporated an employee as a DLC character in their game War Robots. The revenue was used without his knowledge and that of the players to finance a prosthesis for him after he had a severe car accident in 2019 and lost his arm.
What happened? Andrey Kvasov is an employee at Pixonic, the developer of the mobile game War Robots. He works in the IT department. In November 2019, he had a serious accident while on vacation in the Dominican Republic. A truck crashed into the tourist bus.
In this accident, Andrey lost his left arm and a finger from his right hand. However, the tragic incident led to a beautiful story that Andrey has now shared.
Developer created their own character with a backstory for their employee
How his employer helped him: To support him, the studio released a DLC character dedicated to their employee and even shares the same name. The revenue was intended to finance the necessary prosthesis for Andrey.
The skin was released in the summer of 2021, but Pixonic kept the backstory to themselves for a long time. Now Andrey has shared the story on a Russian forum (via Pikabu).
As a child, I dreamed of becoming a character in a video game, […]. On my first day back to work after the accident, my colleague Karina came up to me and said: “Hey, Andrey, why don’t you want to become a pilot? We can rethink your story and somehow bring it into the game.” I didn’t even think of refusing.
The in-game description for the character reads: “Dedicated to Andrey Kvasov. Andrey, you are a cool pro, and it is a pleasure to work with you. In a situation where many would break down, you remained not only strong but also kept a positive attitude and inspired us all.”
The pilot was included in the Battle Pass of War Robots and thus had to be purchased by players with real money. What they didn’t know: Both the appearance and the backstory are real, and by purchasing it, they initially supported the financing of the prosthesis for Andrey without their knowledge.
He reportedly did not even know about it:
The character was sold in a special package, and the proceeds went to a prosthesis. […] I didn’t find out right away, but only a few months later when a certain amount had accumulated. […] It was a big and pleasant surprise for me. The players also learned later that the story is true. Every pilot owner received a free buff and a notification that the money invested in this action went towards purchasing a prosthesis for a real person. The players reacted very positively to the news, and I received many kind words.
How is he doing today? Now, Andrey says he lives a “normal life,” goes to the gym regularly, works normally, and continues to play video games. His injury is no longer a significant obstacle in his everyday life.
He also has a message: “I want to wish everyone good health. It sounds cliché, but it’s the kind of thing that you only learn to appreciate once you lose it. And I also hope you see the good where it might not seem to be at first glance. It is definitely there – I have checked it.”
Furthermore, he emphasizes that fortunately there are now some devices that allow people with disabilities like his to experience the full gaming experience.
Andrey is one of many examples that show how many people remain optimistic despite such serious events and can continue to be active gamers thanks to appropriate hardware.
An additional example is Niklas Lugisland, who became a FIFA pro despite his disability.
