The war in Eastern Europe is also concerning people in Germany. Many influencers, streamers, and others are using their reach to support the people in Ukraine. One of the biggest streamers of World of Tanks is German, and he raised 70,000 euros in donations with his community alone. MeinMMO conducted the first interview about it.
Who is the streamer? mouzAkrobat is a well-known name in the German community of World of Tanks. He is considered the go-to person for new players regarding guides, strategies, and getting started in the game.
On Twitch, mouzAkrobat has achieved great success with the game: in viewer hours, he ranks 6th among the world’s largest streamers on Twitch (via sullygnome). In Germany, he even shares 1st place with Mailand, with the two taking turns at the top.
After we reported on MeinMMO that Twitch star Knossi had raised “more than €100,000” in donations together with German rappers, we were made aware of mouzAkrobat’s initiative.
Through the platform betterplace.org, over €70,000 were raised during a donation stream.
Twitch streamer wants to promote “unity and positive signs”
MeinMMO: Would you introduce yourself briefly for those who don’t know you yet?
mouzAkrobat: Hi! I’m Andreas, 37 years old, and I’m from Hamburg. On Twitch and YouTube, I’m known by the name “mouzAkrobat.” I was a paratrooper officer in the Bundeswehr for 12 years and after my service, I studied business administration with a focus on marketing.
After successfully completing my studies, I became self-employed creating content on Twitch and YouTube with currently slightly over 100,000 subscribers on both platforms.
MeinMMO: Since when have you been streaming on Twitch and how did it come about?
mouzAkrobat: I have been streaming on Twitch since the beginning of 2016, and since 2019, I have been making a living from it. How long that will last depends on viewer interest, but I am aware that it is a dream for every gamer to be able to live off “gaming” at least for some time.
However, I believe many underestimate the effort behind it. One must invest at least 60-80 hours a week to supply both platforms, YouTube and Twitch, with content. Accounting, communication with partners, projects like fundraising, and other activities add to that.
MeinMMO: How did you come up with the idea to raise money for Ukraine?
mouzAkrobat: We have been raising money with large campaigns for various projects for years. Just in November, we were able to raise over €150,000 for the flood victims of the Ahr Valley. Normally, I can prepare, document, and present the recipients of donations more thoroughly ahead of time.
In the case of Ukraine, it was a very spontaneous initiative with less than 24 hours of notice. Many in the community felt the same way I did. The terrible images on television and social media created a feeling of powerlessness and helplessness in us.
Through this initiative, people in the community could show each other that we can stand together and set positive signs!
Donations for a good cause: €500,000 in 3 years
MeinMMO: Your initiative raised €70,000. Did all of that come from your community?
mouzAkrobat: Yes, the money came entirely from our community. There were a total of 1,123 individual donations. This means that on average, €63 was donated per person. The Ahr Valley campaign had a similar picture. For a relatively small community, incredible sums have been raised.
In 3 years, we have been able to raise about €500,000 for charity. This included donations for the mentioned Ahr Valley, well over €100,000 for the children’s hospice Sternenbrücke in Hamburg, and a variety of smaller projects like Off Road Kids Deutschland or the German Cancer Charity.
MeinMMO: Who exactly are the donations going to?
mouzAkrobat: The money went to the “Aktion Deutschland Hilft” from Bonn. This is an alliance of many aid organizations from Germany, who primarily help refugees at border crossings with supplies, accommodation, and cash assistance, but they are also present in many parts of Ukraine to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
MeinMMO: Do you think every Twitch streamer should use their reach like you do?
mouzAkrobat: No, it doesn’t help if it arises from expectations or external pressure. One must also not underestimate how much work a careful preparation and follow-up of such fundraising campaigns entails if one wants to do it properly and transparently.
Unfortunately, one often has the feeling that female and male streamers do it half-heartedly because they feel that it is expected of them, and at times, there are also campaigns that have a strange aftertaste because it seems as if the goal is simply to gain more reach. So the opposite of how the question was formulated.
I have never really cared for attention from the outside, and this is the first interview I have ever given regarding the donation initiatives. The conviction and the cause should always come first.
“Gamers are probably the most peaceful people in our society”
MeinMMO: You stream a war game with World of Tanks. Does it feel strange after the attack on Ukraine?
mouzAkrobat: Of course, the situation in Ukraine does not pass me by, nor the people from the World of Tanks community, which also includes many players from Ukraine and even more from the Russian area. However, we have also made it clear long before the Russian invasion of Ukraine that we do not let ourselves be politicized or stigmatized.
We are normal people from the middle of society playing a tactical shooter. Gamers are probably the most peaceful people in our society because geopolitical boundaries do not matter to us. We all play together and against each other in a sporting competition and, of course, to escape everyday life for a moment.
I can say from my own time in Afghanistan that there are no winners in a “real war.” All parties lose! I am sure that gaming will clearly help in the communication between nations and the understanding of each other, and in the future, it will also lead to bridging the gaps of political ideology. So we should not stop playing, but rather play even more together!
MeinMMO: Thank you for the interview!
– Ukraine Live Blog (via Zeit)
– War in Ukraine (via nzz)
– Solidarity with Ukraine (via Auswärtiges Amt)
Important Note: If you are struggling with dark thoughts due to the current situation: You are not alone. Please seek help. For example, contact the phone counseling service at 0800/111 0 111 or the online counseling, where you can also use a chat. It is free and available nationwide.
War in Ukraine influences gaming
Developers and publishers are taking a stand on the war and showing solidarity with Ukraine.
Russian and Ukrainian studios must ensure the safety of their employees and postpone releases. Streamers from these countries must flee or lose their livelihood.
- Russian Twitch streamers lose their livelihoods overnight
- Escape from Tarkov: 230,000 watched the moving video of a Twitch streamer fleeing the war
- Sisters stream on Twitch from Ukraine – Interrupted by bombs
Even in Germany, the topic is omnipresent and concerns well-known names on YouTube, Twitch, and social networks. Many gaming influencers express their concerns about the war and deal with the situation in Ukraine in different ways:
Provide distraction or not? How German gaming streamers are reacting to the invasion of Ukraine
