New ‘Fortnite’ mission: Reaching out to abused children

A special project in France allowed children vulnerable to domestic abuse to have a communication channel within a video game. — AFP Relaxnews

PARIS: During France’s coronavirus lockdown, a futuristic blue-winged avatar joined the wildly popular world of Fortnite, but its goal was not to be the last person standing – its job was to give young victims of abuse a chance to tell their stories.

The secret project was launched by the French children’s aid group L’Enfant Bleu (Blue Child), which disclosed its Fortnite partnership this week in hopes the idea can be applied to more online games.