Block by Blockwest is a Minecraft music festival raising money for coronavirus relief

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Minecraft is becoming a major platform for coronavirus efforts

Block by Blockwest, or BXBW, is a Minecraft music festival hosted by Courier Club, which is raising money for coronavirus relief efforts led by the CDC Foundation. 

With all this being free, you might be wondering how BXBW will be raising any money. Well, between acts, players will be encouraged to explore the stadium grounds and purchase their favorite band's merch. Interacting with in-game merch will bring you to real store pages for the corresponding item. As the BXBW reads, "all proceeds from the event will go to the Coronavirus Emergency Response fund." 

"Block by Blockwest aims to forge a hub of human connectivity in this time of social distancing through livestream acts, competitive minigames, a vast art gallery featuring rising fine artists, as well as a handful of other features for festival-goers to explore," Courier Club says. 

BXBW is the latest in a growing line of Minecraft-based coronavirus initiatives. Another Minecraft music festival called Elsewhere is also raising money to fund relief efforts, and to help entertain kids stuck at home in quarantine, Microsoft and Mojang released several free Minecraft Education lessons. 

Here's a broader look at how the gaming community is battling coronavirus. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.