Good things come in twos at TennoCon 2024. Even the year itself is beautifully divisible by twos. But the best of the twos isn’t the two days of the con or even the highlight of two frame games; it’s Digital Extremes’ dedication to supporting local causes each year multiplying. One of the things I love and appreciate most about TennoCon is its focus on charity, and 2024 is no different. OK, actually, it is different! This year, DE is supporting not one but two charities! On top of that, the studio is granting a two-part wish for one young man through Make-A-Wish right at TennoCon.
This year’s con charity partners are AbleGamers and the Sick Kids Foundation. Many gamers have heard of AbleGamers, whose mission is to combat social isolation through play by helping create ways for people with disabilities to play video games and fostering inclusive communities. Folks might not be as familiar with the Sick Kids Foundation, which is based right next door to DE in Toronto, Canada. The Sick Kids Foundation is actually a research-intensive hospital (The Hospital for Sick Children) affiliated with the University of Toronto, dedicated to improving children’s health in the country. SickKids focuses on care, research, and training.
Both of these organization will be given $100,000 from Digital Extremes. Players can also donate to either or both throughout the con and the livestreams to further bolster the support.
The warm fuzzies don’t stop there, either. This year, TennoCon will also be the place where a special wish is fulfilled through the Make-A-Wish foundation. James Conlin is a guy whose two-part wish is to be a voice actor in a game and to be a star. Warframe will be that game. And to TennoCon attendees, he is truly a star!
Creative Director Rebb Ford and Community Director and Live Ops Megan Everett highlighted the plans for the wish-granting ahead of the show. James arrived at TennoCon early (it turned out that I was on his train!) and was greeted like a star. He was able to hobnob with some famous voice actors working on the game during pre-con events, then he recorded his lines right at the DE studio. When James was introduced to the con, the crowd chanted his name and waved light sticks for him. When his James is a character as one of the arcade games appeared during the TennoLive broadcast, the demo paused and the audience again cheered wildly for this new voice-acting star.
James’ character will be a permanent fixture in the Warframe 1999 hub, so folks can admire his work every time they visit. Great job, James! I wonder if I can get his autograph?
