Here’s how Pink Mercy helped cancer research

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation was able to spread money raised by Overwatch fans across “three critical programs:” BCRF Precision Prevention Initiative, BCRF Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium Award, and 25 Annual BCRF Research Grants.

In May, Blizzard launched a charity drive to support the BCRF, headlined by a new Overwatch skin, Pink Mercy. The magical girl skin drummed up a lot of money for the breast cancer charity. Blizzard announced in July that the Pink Mercy campaign raised more than $12.7 million for BCRF—but now we know exactly where that money went. The three critical programs funded by the Pink Mercy skin campaign allow scientists and researchers to explore new ideas.

As part of the Precision Prevention Initiative, BCRF will “fuel innovative prevention research to reduce the incidence of breast cancer, including creating new tools and tests for improving screening and diagnosis,” Blizzard said in a blog post outlining the funding. The initiative will kick off later this month with a “think tank” of breast cancer researchers. Grants will be awarded over a period of three years.

The Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium Award is helping launch five new clinical trials within a “consortium comprised of 19 medical institutions and nearly 200 investigators aimed at accelerating new treatments for patients with breast cancer.” Twenty-five research grants will also be awarded to give scientists room to explore innovative ideas that could help find a cure for breast cancer. The 25 grants will be spread across seven different research fields: treatment, tumor biology, biomarker discovery, disparities, metastasis, hereditary risk, and early detection.

“The Blizzard Entertainment Awards will be distributed to 29 researchers in 10 U.S. states and eight total countries located in six different continents around the globe.

The donations from Overwatch fans added up to the largest contribution from a corporate partner made in a year within BCRF’s 25-year history. With the money, the BCRF is taking practical steps to eradicate breast cancer. More information about the funding initiatives is available at the BCRF website.