The Z Event is a francophonecharity project created by Adrien Nougaret and Alexandre Dachary (respectively known under the pseudonyms ZeratoR and Dach) whose goal is to bring together French streamers to collect donations that will support a charity. It is hosted on the Twitchstreaming platform.
It has raised more money than any other French video gaming event.[1] During the 2021 stream, Z Event raised €10 million Euros ($11.7 million), a world record.[2][3] In total, between 2016 and 2022, these events raised more than 31.2 million euros or close to 34.6 million dollars.
The Z Event is an annual charity marathon organized since 2016 and taking place over three days. It brings together French-speaking streamers with the aim of collecting donations for a charity.[4][5]
The event physically takes place in the Hérault department, more precisely at the Sud de France Arena in Montpellier, and is broadcast on the streaming site Twitch. All the creators present broadcast a video stream in succession, the content of which is mostly dedicated to video games, but also to discussions or physical events such as challenges, contests, quizzes or karaoke.[4][6][5]
In order to encourage donations, the streamers present each define "donation goals", i.e. a list of donation objectives. For each goal they reach, they commit to a specific action, usually requested by their audience or fun to watch.[5][7] In addition to the donations made, merchandise (mostly t-shirts) is sold to benefit the chosen charity.[8]
The event was initially to be held for the sole benefit of the GoodPlanet foundation. A new concert is organized the day before the launch of the charity marathon. The event is extended to correct a technical incident: it ends on September 12 at 2 a.m.
Avengers Project (2016)
The French branch of the "Avengers Project" took place from March 4 to 6, 2016, on the call of Bachir Boumaaza. Its charitable program "Gaming for Good" aims to collect donations for the NGOSave the Children during the drought in Ethiopia.
ZeratoR brought together 16 streamers and friends at his home for 34 hours of live, raising €170,770.[12][13]
In total, 37 streamers participate in this charity event organized in a room made available by the Occitania region. In 53 hours, the event brings in a total of €1,094,731.[18] The sum raised was essentially used to reconstruct fully a destroyed hospital in Yemen.[19]
During this edition, the event is broadcast live on NRJ radio[20]
On the second day, Riot Games made a donation of €20,000,[25]Webedia €25,000, then the American streamer Ninja €26,000.[26][27] A total of €3,510,682 were raised by the end of the event,[21][28] breaking the record for the largest amount of money collected at a charity event on the live streaming platform Twitch.[29] On his Twitter account, the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron congratulated the initiative.[21][28]
Some Internet users regret, among other things, the low number of women within the Z Event.[29]'[30] The Madmoizelle website, in its coverage of the event, highlights a "positive trend," noting that the 2019 edition features slightly more women compared to previous ones.[31]
Z Event 2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization of a 2020 edition was initially uncertain. Indeed, ZeratoR said on April 29, 2020, live, at the time in full containment in France, that it may not be possible given the atmosphere of the time. On August 31, 2020, during a live performance where he returned to the Z LAN 2020, a few weeks before the event's regular run (usually between September and November), he announced that "until the 2020 edition is announced, there will be none". Despite this, on October 4, 2020, the event was announced to be held from 16 to 18 October 2020 in Montpellier, the beneficiary of which will be Amnesty International France.
In order to limit the risk of COVID-19 propagation, ZeratoR announced at the same time a strict protocol. The 85 participants (including streamers and team members) had to pass a PCR test, and those who would be tested positive could not participate. The organizers therefore invited all participants to isolate themselves at home until October 16. The event took place for the first time in a hotel, that participants were not able to leave during the event.
The store sold over 120,000 T-shirts,[32] and more than 132,000 donators of 1 euro registered during the event. On the Twitter account of the Presidency of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron congratulated the initiative, as for the previous editions. The event, marked in particular by the presence of Samuel Etienne [fr] on October 17, raised €5,724,377 in 55 hours.[33]'[34]'[35]
A concert in support of the humanitarian organization, featuring performances by the musician PV Nova [fr] and the streamer LittleBigWhale [fr], the group L.E.J, as well as the rapper Fianso, was played on October 28, in La Grande-Motte,[40][41] in front of an audience of nearly 400 people. Its online broadcast was followed by more than 100 000 spectators.[42]
An hour after the beginning of the event, almost €500,000 had already been collected,[43] and the collected funds were raised to €2,000,000 in 24 hours.[40] The largest amount of donations was given during the last hours of the event: on 31 October 2021, at noon, €3,000,000 had been raised — then €4,500,000 at 8:00pm, and up to €9,500,000 right before midnight, including goodies sales.[40][44]
In total, more than 500,000 donations were made during the caritative marathon, and 172,000 T-shirts were sold, raising nearly €2,700,000.[40][45][46] Z Event 2021 collected in total more than €10,000,000 (US$11,600,000) in favour of Action contre la faim. ZeratoR's end stream was followed by 720,000 people simultaneously, and Inoxtag's stream peaked at 453,000 viewers when the young streamer invited the Mexican actress Andrea Pedrero, making it a record in France, and being the 3rd most watched stream ever.[45] Inoxtag, however, sparks controversy for making remarks deemed misogynistic during his live performance while engaging in conversation with an actress who is not fluent in French.[47]'[48] Simultaneously, Ultia [fr] publicly condemned the streamer, and as a result, she faced a surge of harassment in the hours following her statement.[49]'[50]'[51] Specialized media outlets such as Madmoizelle and Gamekult subsequently raised questions about the event organizers' response to the controversy, criticizing it as both sluggish and insufficient. They also denounced certain recurring activities within the Z Event that they perceive as sexist.[52]'[53]
Z Event 2022
The 2022 edition was publicly announced on July 4, 2022, and will take place from 9 to 11 September 2022, initially dedicated to the GoodPlanet Foundation.[54]
As in the previous edition, a concert is planned to be held the day before the launch of the event. It will include performances by PV Nova, the streamer LittleBigWhale, French Fuse, Berywam, Bigflo & Oli and Soprano at the Zenith of Montpellier.[55]
Several criticisms emerged on social networks when the event was announced. They mainly target the absence of some streamers who participated in the previous editions,[56] as well as the choice of the GoodPlanet Foundation as beneficiary association, this one facing many accusations of greenwashing especially around its financing.[57]
Five days after the announcement, negative reactions online prompted the Z Event to cancel its partnership with the GoodPlanet Foundation.[58] ZeratoR then announced that the money raised during the event would be divided equally among five associations, chosen by public vote from a shortlist of 22 organizations. The five associations finally chosen as beneficiaries are Sea Shepherd France, Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux [fr], WWF France, Time for the Planet [fr] and The SeaCleaners [fr].
During the event, some participants such as Antoine Daniel and Angle Droit virulently expressed their anger towards the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron.[59] The latter having shared a video message on Twitter expressing support for the Z Event and announcing upcoming esports events in France, faced accusations of political recuperation. Critics pointed out the perceived contradiction, highlighting the government's alleged inaction in addressing global warming, which, according to them, necessitates organizing charity events like the Z Event to address pressing issues.[60]'[61]
This edition is notable for the introduction of a platform similar to Place, enabling internet users to make donations and contribute to filling a virtual canvas,[62] as well as, on September 10, by the presence of the artist Worakls[63] and Alain Chabat,[64]'[65] the latter co-hosting a live quiz which brought together 200,000 simultaneous spectators.[62]
Nearly 350,000 viewers simultaneously tuned in to witness the final hours of the 2022 edition, resulting in a total donation amount of 10,182,126 euros for the beneficiary associations.[62]
The new format consists of 36 streamers on-site and 100 others selected to participate remotely, similar to the organization during the 2020 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[66]
