'Sky: Children of the Light' hosts a beach cleanup with about 200 fans! The 'circle of kindness' built in the game world bears fruit as a new form of social contribution in the real world
thatgamecompany held a beach cleanup in Enoshima with about 200 fans of the game 'Sky'. Translating in-game kindness into real-world action, they tackled ocean plastic pollution.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 12:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 08:19 (91h 47m after Collected)
The social adventure game 'Sky: Children of the Light' (hereinafter 'Sky'), operated by thatgamecompany, Inc. (Headquarters: California, USA), held a player-participatory event 'Sky Light-Weaving Beach Clean in Enoshima' at Katase Higashihama Beach in Kanagawa Prefecture on Saturday, April 11, 2026, with the cooperation of NPO Umi Sakura.
Approximately 1,600 Sky fans applied for this event, and about 200 selected by lottery participated on the day. As an initiative to extend the worldview of the game to reality, a beach cleanup was conducted, recovering a large amount of debris washed ashore, from microplastic waste to large drifted objects.
Waste generated in the cities where we live is said to account for about 80% of all marine debris, and it is estimated that over 8 million tons of plastic flow into the sea annually. Marine pollution remains a serious global issue.
*Reference: The Nippon Foundation, Umi-to-Nippon Project (https://uminohi.jp/kaiyougomi/)
Since 2021, 'Sky' has partnered with 'The Ocean Cleanup,' a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating plastic pollution from the world's oceans and rivers, supporting marine conservation efforts worldwide through in-game events. These efforts have so far resulted in activities supporting the removal of over 1 million pounds (approximately 450 tons) of ocean plastic.
As part of these efforts, which have primarily been rolled out in-game and overseas so far, this real-world event was held in Japan with the cooperation of NPO Umi Sakura.
The day of the event was blessed with pleasantly sunny weather hinting at early summer. About 200 participants wearing event-exclusive original T-shirts, alongside thatgamecompany staff, worked hard cleaning the area around Katase Higashihama Beach for about an hour. As Mr. Furusawa, representative of Umi Sakura, explained at the beginning of the gathering, 'About 70% of the garbage found on the beaches of Kanagawa Prefecture originates from city streets, washed away by rain into storm drains and rivers before reaching the sea.' True to his words, many snack bags, cigarette butts, glass shards, and finely broken microplastics were found on the shore.
During the event, participants also created 'plastic art' works expressing the world of 'Sky' utilizing the microplastic waste collected during the beach cleanup. The vivid beauty of the creations drew sighs of admiration, while simultaneously prompting participants to reflect on the kind of garbage they originated from, providing an opportunity to deeply realize the reality of the marine waste problem.
Furthermore, after the beach cleanup concluded, a special activity was held with the cooperation of 'ABURABITO', which creates candles using plant-derived waste oil. Inspired by the worldview of 'Sky', candles were given to all participants, and a special performance was staged where each person lit their candle and arranged them on the sandy beach. SeiYA Fukuda, a long-time player of 'Sky', composer, and performer, appeared as a special guest, delivering a special live performance with the musicians' circle Nachtigall. A magical time flowed at Katase Higashihama Beach overlooking Enoshima. Enveloped by the beautiful sunset and the gentle sound of waves, it became a special moment etched into the memories of the 'Children of the Light' gathered there.
Through these activities, thatgamecompany will continue to strive so that the medium of gaming is not merely entertainment, but a creation capable of generating positive emotional experiences for as many people as possible and connecting people worldwide.
■ Scenes from 'Sky Light-Weaving Beach Clean in Enoshima'
■ Participants' Voices
Many positive voices were received from fans who actually participated on the day, indicating heightened awareness of the marine waste issue and their willingness for future activities.
'It was very refreshing to be able to act together with Sky friends not just in the game, but in reality. I strongly felt the importance of nature once again, and I definitely want to participate if there is another opportunity like this.'
'At first, I didn't think there was much large garbage, but once I started, there were so many fine plastics buried in the sand, making it very rewarding. It was a very meaningful time that gave me a chance to think about the environment while having fun with friends.'
'Seeing the beach gradually become beautiful...'
Approximately 1,600 Sky fans applied for this event, and about 200 selected by lottery participated on the day. As an initiative to extend the worldview of the game to reality, a beach cleanup was conducted, recovering a large amount of debris washed ashore, from microplastic waste to large drifted objects.
Waste generated in the cities where we live is said to account for about 80% of all marine debris, and it is estimated that over 8 million tons of plastic flow into the sea annually. Marine pollution remains a serious global issue.
*Reference: The Nippon Foundation, Umi-to-Nippon Project (https://uminohi.jp/kaiyougomi/)
Since 2021, 'Sky' has partnered with 'The Ocean Cleanup,' a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating plastic pollution from the world's oceans and rivers, supporting marine conservation efforts worldwide through in-game events. These efforts have so far resulted in activities supporting the removal of over 1 million pounds (approximately 450 tons) of ocean plastic.
As part of these efforts, which have primarily been rolled out in-game and overseas so far, this real-world event was held in Japan with the cooperation of NPO Umi Sakura.
The day of the event was blessed with pleasantly sunny weather hinting at early summer. About 200 participants wearing event-exclusive original T-shirts, alongside thatgamecompany staff, worked hard cleaning the area around Katase Higashihama Beach for about an hour. As Mr. Furusawa, representative of Umi Sakura, explained at the beginning of the gathering, 'About 70% of the garbage found on the beaches of Kanagawa Prefecture originates from city streets, washed away by rain into storm drains and rivers before reaching the sea.' True to his words, many snack bags, cigarette butts, glass shards, and finely broken microplastics were found on the shore.
During the event, participants also created 'plastic art' works expressing the world of 'Sky' utilizing the microplastic waste collected during the beach cleanup. The vivid beauty of the creations drew sighs of admiration, while simultaneously prompting participants to reflect on the kind of garbage they originated from, providing an opportunity to deeply realize the reality of the marine waste problem.
Furthermore, after the beach cleanup concluded, a special activity was held with the cooperation of 'ABURABITO', which creates candles using plant-derived waste oil. Inspired by the worldview of 'Sky', candles were given to all participants, and a special performance was staged where each person lit their candle and arranged them on the sandy beach. SeiYA Fukuda, a long-time player of 'Sky', composer, and performer, appeared as a special guest, delivering a special live performance with the musicians' circle Nachtigall. A magical time flowed at Katase Higashihama Beach overlooking Enoshima. Enveloped by the beautiful sunset and the gentle sound of waves, it became a special moment etched into the memories of the 'Children of the Light' gathered there.
Through these activities, thatgamecompany will continue to strive so that the medium of gaming is not merely entertainment, but a creation capable of generating positive emotional experiences for as many people as possible and connecting people worldwide.
■ Scenes from 'Sky Light-Weaving Beach Clean in Enoshima'
■ Participants' Voices
Many positive voices were received from fans who actually participated on the day, indicating heightened awareness of the marine waste issue and their willingness for future activities.
'It was very refreshing to be able to act together with Sky friends not just in the game, but in reality. I strongly felt the importance of nature once again, and I definitely want to participate if there is another opportunity like this.'
'At first, I didn't think there was much large garbage, but once I started, there were so many fine plastics buried in the sand, making it very rewarding. It was a very meaningful time that gave me a chance to think about the environment while having fun with friends.'
'Seeing the beach gradually become beautiful...'