Z Event Explained

Z Event
Native Name:Avengers Project
Native Name Lang:fr
Status:active
Genre:livestreamed charity project
Frequency:annually
Venue:Sud de France Arena
Location:Montpellier, Hérault
Years Active: years (7 editions)
Founders:Adrien Nougaret
Alexandre Dachary
Events:Video games
Discussions
Challenges
Contests
Quizzes
Karaoke

The Z Event is a francophone charity 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 Twitch streaming platform.

The first edition took place in 2016 under the name Project Avengers. The event is in the benefit, successively, of Save the Children, the French Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, the Pasteur Institute, Amnesty International, Action Against Hunger and four distinct associations acting in the environmental protection during the 2022 edition.

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.

Format

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.[6]

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.[7] In addition to the donations made, merchandise (mostly t-shirts) is sold to benefit the chosen charity.[8]

Editions

Summary table of editions[9] !Event!Date!Beneficiary charities!Amount collected!More informations
width=12% align=centerAvengers Projectwidth=13% align=centerMarch 4 to 6, 2016width=17% align=centerSave the Childrenwidth=10% align=right€170,000Shortest edition, with 34 hours of live stream.
Z Event 2017September 8 to 10, 2017French Red Cross€500,000First edition under the name of "Z Event".
Z Event 2018November 9 to 11, 2018Médecins Sans Frontières€1,094,731First Z Event to exceed the million euros.
Z Event 2019September 20 to 23, 2019Pasteur Institute€3,509,878World record for a charity stream on Twitch.
Z Event 2020October 16 to 18, 2020[10] Amnesty International€5,724,377Occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the streamers participate remotely in the event.
Z Event 2021October 29 to 31, 2021Action Against Hunger€10,064,480A concert takes place the day before the launch of the edition.
Audience record for a French stream broadcast on Twitch.
Z Event 2022September 9 to 11, 2022Sea Shepherd France

WWF (France)

€10,182,126The 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 NGO Save 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.[11] [12]

Z Event 2017

The Z Event took place from September 8 to 10, 2017, to collect donations for the French Red Cross during Hurricane Irma in the West Indies.

This time, 30 streamers meet in a garage set up for the occasion. The event raised a total of €451,851.[13]

He was congratulated by the President of the French Republic, then Emmanuel Macron, on Twitter.[14]

Z Event 2018

The Z Event took place from November 9 to 11, 2018,[15] to collect donations for the Médecins Sans Frontières association.[16]

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.[17] The sum raised was essentially used to reconstruct fully a destroyed hospital in Yemen.[18]

During this edition, the event is broadcast live on NRJ radio[19]

Z Event 2019

Following the 2018 edition, organizers received over 400 requests from non-governmental organizations.[20] After examining the latter, the Pasteur Institute was chosen. The 2019 edition of the Z Event took place from September 20 to 22, 2019, in Montpellier.[21] In total, 55 Francophone streamers were gathered in a room made available by the Metropole of Montpellier for a total event duration of 54 hours.[22] [23] Squeezie, Gotaga, Antoine Daniel and Joueur du Grenier participated in the event.

On the second day, Riot Games made a donation of €20,000,[24] Webedia €25,000, then the American streamer Ninja €26,000.[25] [26] A total of €3,510,682 were raised by the end of the event,[27] breaking the record for the largest amount of money collected at a charity event on the live streaming platform Twitch.[28] On his Twitter account, the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron congratulated the initiative.

Some Internet users regret, among other things, the low number of women within the Z Event.[29] 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.[30]

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,[31] 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 on October 17, raised €5,724,377 in 55 hours.[32] '[33] '[34]

Z Event 2021

Announced on 14 October 2021, the 2021 edition was held from 29 to 31 October 2021, to the benefit of Action contre la faim.[35] [36] [37] [38]

A concert in support of the humanitarian organization, featuring performances by the musician and the streamer, the group L.E.J, as well as the rapper Fianso, was played on October 28, in La Grande-Motte,[39] in front of an audience of nearly 400 people. Its online broadcast was followed by more than 100 000 spectators.[40]

An hour after the beginning of the event, almost had already been collected,[41] and the collected funds were raised to in 24 hours.[42] The largest amount of donations was given during the last hours of the event: on 31 October 2021, at noon, had been raised — then at, and up to right before midnight, including goodies sales.[43]

In total, more than donations were made during the caritative marathon, and T-shirts were sold, raising nearly .[44] [45] Z Event 2021 collected in total more than in favour of Action contre la faim. ZeratoR's end stream was followed by people simultaneously, and 's stream peaked at 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. 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.[46] '[47] Simultaneously, publicly condemned the streamer, and as a result, she faced a surge of harassment in the hours following her statement.[48] '[49] '[50] 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.[51] '[52]

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.[53]

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.[54]

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,[55] as well as the choice of the GoodPlanet Foundation as beneficiary association, this one facing many accusations of greenwashing especially around its financing.[56]

Five days after the announcement, negative reactions online prompted the Z Event to cancel its partnership with the GoodPlanet Foundation.[57] 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,, WWF France, and .

During the event, some participants such as Antoine Daniel and Angle Droit virulently expressed their anger towards the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron.[58] 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.[59] '[60]

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,[61] as well as, on September 10, by the presence of the artist Worakls[62] and Alain Chabat,[63] '[64] the latter co-hosting a live quiz which brought together 200,000 simultaneous spectators.

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.

ZEvent 2024

After a break the previous year, the 2024 edition was publicly announced on August 4, 2024. The new edition, with a new format, will take place from September 6 to 8, 2024, benefiting associations such as Secours Populaire Français,, Les Bureaux du Cœur,, and Chapitre 2.[65] '[66]

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.

Participating streamers

StreamersEventsTotal of participations(+ remotely)
Projet Avengers
(2016)
Z Event 2017Z Event 2018Z Event 2019Z Event 2020Z Event 2021Z Event 2022Z Event 2024
ZeratoRPresent8
DachPresent8
DrFeelgood (DFG)Present8
Present8
LapiPresent8
Le Roi Bisou (LRB)Present8
PresentRemotelyPresent7+1
GoB GGPresent7
Present7
LegePresent7
XariPresent7
AlphaCastPresent7
GiusPresent7
KennyPresent7
MoMaNPresent7
JirayaPresentRemotelyPresent6+1
PresentRemotelyPresent6+1
Present5
ChapPresent5
TrinityPresent5
WakzPresent5
PresentPresent5
Present5
Gom4rtPresent5
Present5
Antoine DanielPresentRemotelyPresent4+1
Joueur du GrenierPresentRemotelyPresent4+1
TweekzPresent4
NarkussPresentPresentPresent4
AlderiatePresent4
BestmarmottePresent4
LuttiPresent4
Present4
DamDamLivePresent4
PoncePresent4
Present4
Present4
PresentRemotelyPresent3+1
PresentRemotelyPresent3+1
AayleyPresent3
DiabalzanePresent3
HexakilPresent3
NonoPresent3
ZankiohPresent3
PresentPresent3
KoteiPresent3
PresentPresent3
LeBouseuhPresent3
TPKPresent3
JLTomyPresentPresent3
Chowh1Present3
MynthosPresent3
Angle DroitPresent3
MickalowPresentRemotely2+1
Jean MassietRemotelyPresent2+1
AypierrePresentPresent2
ImSoFreshPresentPresent2
MizuPresent2
NyoPresent2
OdemianPresent2
TioPresent2
CarlJr.PresentPresent2
MasterSnakouPresentPresent2
JLAmaruPresent2
JbzzPresentPresent2
AlexclickPresent2
Bob LennonPresent2
CamakPresent2
AvamindPresent2
HortyPresent2
TontonPresent2
ShisheyuPresent2
SqueeziePresentRemotely1+1
DeujnaRemotelyPresent1+1
BlueLondonPresent1
Present1
MamytwinkPresent1
ValahanPresent1
ZechariaPresent1
Present1
AiekilluPresent1
OonoPresent1
WingobearPresent1
Zack NaniPresent1
FunkaPresent1
JunPeiPresent1
KaoPresent1
KokaPresent1
RizotochaudPresent1
TKLPresent1
Present1
BefreeshPresent1
Present1
JLFakePresent1
Present1
RebeudeterPresent1
AltairPresent1
BerluPresent1
Bigflo & OliPresent1
BlitzstreamPresent1
BrenPresent1
CebPresent1
NBKPresent1
Pape SanPresent1
ShaunzPresent1
SkyyartPresent1
Time for the PlanetPresent1
Un33dPresent1
HelydiaPresent1
OPCrottePresent1
PresseaPresent1
Present1
SundaePresent1

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Z Event : le marathon de jeu vidéo obtient 452 000 euros de dons pour aider les victimes d'Irma - Pop culture. Lausson. Julien. 2017-09-11. Numerama. fr-FR. 2019-09-24.
  2. Web site: ZEvent Charity Stream Breaks Twitch Record for Donations. 2019-09-23. Game Rant. en-US. 2019-09-24.
  3. Web site: Streamer Ninja helps Z Event reach €3 million target with big donation. 2019-09-23. Metro. en. 2019-09-24.
  4. Web site: ZEvent : un marathon de jeux vidéos en ligne récolte 1 million d'euros pour MSF . 2022-08-05 . France 3 Centre-Val de Loire . fr-FR.
  5. Web site: Record battu pour le Z Event : les streamers récoltent plus de 10 millions d’euros pour l’ONG Action contre la faim . 2022-08-05 . RTBF . fr.
  6. Web site: Lausson . Julien . 2019-08-21 . Z Event : en 2019, Zerator organise son marathon de jeux vidéo caritatif pour l'institut Pasteur . 2022-08-05 . Numerama . fr-FR.
  7. Web site: Voici nos dix donation goals préférés du Z Event 2021 . 2022-08-05 . Konbini - Musique, cinéma, sport, food, news : le meilleur de la pop culture . fr.
  8. Web site: RECORD. Z Event : des gamers récoltent 3,5 millions d’euros pour l’institut Pasteur . 2022-08-05 . www.ledauphine.com . FR-fr.
  9. Web site: Site officiel de l'événement. .
  10. Web site: ZeratoR's announcement for ZEvent 2020. 2020-10-04. Twitter. en.
  11. Web site: Projet Avengers : des joueurs français s'unissent pour aider l’Éthiopie - Pop culture. Lausson. Julien. 2016-03-11. Numerama. fr-FR. 2019-09-24.
  12. Web site: + de 170.000€ récoltés pour l'Ethiopie par les Avengers du streaming FR !. SPAENLE. Axel 'Popov34'. 2016-03-07. melty. fr. 2019-09-24.
  13. Web site: Le ZEvent de Zerator, un succès à tous les niveaux. Media. Pure Game. 2017-09-11. Puregamemedia. fr-FR. 2019-09-24.
  14. Web site: ZEvent : Le président Macron félicite les gamers pour l'initiative. Gameblog. fr. 2019-09-24.
  15. Web site: Z Event, un marathon de jeux vidéo au bénéfice de Médecins sans frontières CNC. www.cnc.fr. 2019-09-24.
  16. Web site: Z Event : plus d'un million d'euros récoltés pour Médecins sans frontières. Jeuxvideo.com. fr. 2019-09-24.
  17. Web site: Z Event 2018 : ZeratoR et 37 streamers mobilisés pour Médecins Sans Frontières. nrjgames. fr. 2019-09-24.
  18. Web site: ZEvent 2019 Montpellier : objectif trois millions d'euros récoltés par les gamers pour l'Institut Pasteur. France 3 Occitanie. fr. 2019-09-24.
  19. Web site: Les Podcasts NRJ - Tous les podcasts de vos émissions. NRJ.fr. fr. 2019-09-24.
  20. Web site: ZEvent 2019 Montpellier : objectif trois millions d'euros récoltés par les gamers pour l'Institut Pasteur. France 3 Occitanie. fr. 2019-09-24.
  21. Web site: "Z event", le marathon caritatif des stars du jeu vidéo. magazine. Le Point. 2019-09-21. Le Point. fr. 2019-09-24.
  22. Web site: eSports: Z Event, la ruche des streamers qui oeuvre pour la bonne cause. magazine. Le Point. 2019-09-22. Le Point. fr. 2019-09-24.
  23. Web site: Les gamers de ZEvent récoltent plus de 3,5 millions d’euros pour l’Institut Pasteur. 2019-09-23. www.lefigaro.fr. 2019-09-24.
  24. Web site: Z Event : 3 500 000 d'euros récoltés pour l'Institut Pasteur et un record !. Millenium. fr. 2019-09-24.
  25. Web site: Ninja donates eye-popping amount to Z Event charity stream. Dexerto.com. en. 2019-09-24.
  26. Web site: Tweet thanking Ninja for his donation. Event. Z.. 2019-09-22. @ZEventfr. en. 2019-09-24.
  27. Web site: eSports : des joueurs récoltent plus de 3,5 millions d'euros pour l'Institut Pasteur lors du défi Z Event. 2019-09-23. Franceinfo. fr. 2019-09-24.
  28. News: Z Event, le " Téléthon du jeu vidéo ", a récolté 3,5 millions d’euros pour l’Institut Pasteur. 2019-09-23. 2019-09-24. fr.
  29. Web site: 2019-08-23 . Polémique autour du Z Event accusé de ne pas inclure les minorités – La communauté réagit . 2023-12-16 . Dexerto.fr . fr.
  30. Web site: Théron . Marie Camier . 2019-09-23 . Le ZEvent a levé plus de 3,5 millions d’euros : record mondial ! . 2023-12-16 . Madmoizelle . fr-FR.
  31. Web site: ZEvent : record battu avec plus de 5,7 millions d'euros récoltés pour Amnesty International. 2020-10-19. Jeuxvideo.com. fr.
  32. Web site: Jivé . 2020-10-18 . 5,7 millions d'euros au Z Event 2020 . 2023-12-16 . Eclypsia . fr-FR.
  33. Web site: 2020-10-19 . Plus de 5,7 millions d'euros récoltés par les gamers du " Z Event " . 2023-12-16 . Le Point . fr.
  34. Web site: Demagny . Xavier . 2020-10-19 . Cinq moments pour résumer le ZEvent, qui a permis de récolter plus de 5 millions pour Amnesty . 2023-12-16 . France Inter . fr.
  35. Web site: Z Event : le marathon de jeux vidéo caritatif revient en 2021 pour Action contre la faim. Julien Lausson. Numerama. 2021-10-14. 2021-10-14.
  36. Web site: Ce qu'il faut savoir sur le ZEvent 2021, le marathon caritatif en ligne organisé du 29 au 31 octobre. Mathieu Yerle. Le Figaro. 2021-10-25. 2021-10-31.
  37. Web site: Le Z Event 2021, mode d’emploi. Le Monde. 29 October 2021. 31 October 2021.
  38. Web site: Montpellier, ville du cœur et des gamers, accueille le marathon de jeu vidéo Z Event. Alexandre Seba. Le Parisien. 2021-10-28. 2021-10-31.
  39. Web site: Nelken . Sacha . Z Event 2021 : la crème du streaming français récolte plus de 10 millions d’euros pour Action contre la faim . 2022-08-05 . Libération . fr.
  40. Web site: Z Event 2021 pour "Action contre la Faim" : les donation goals les plus fous . 2022-08-05 . RTBF . fr . 2022-08-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220805150925/https://www.rtbf.be/article/z-event-2021-pour-action-contre-la-faim-les-donation-goals-les-plus-fous-10869751 . dead .
  41. Web site: Des streamers unis pour la bonne cause: le ZEvent 2021 vient d'être lancé, déjà près de 500.000 euros récoltés. La Libre. 29 October 2021. 2021-10-31.
  42. Web site: Sept moments marquants du ZEvent 2021, plus de quatre millions d'euros récoltés pour l'instant. Victor Vasseur. France Inter. fr. 2021-10-31. 2021-10-31.
  43. Web site: Le Z Event 2021 rapporte plus de 10 millions d’euros pour Action contre la faim. Le Soir. 2021-11-01.
  44. Web site: Z Event 2021: nouveau record historique avec plus de 10 millions d'euros récoltés. Jonathan Vaucher. Eclypsia. 2021-11-01. 2021-11-03.
  45. Web site: Les chiffres fous du ZEvent. Paul Arrivé. L'Équipe. 4 November 2021. 2021-11-05.
  46. Web site: 2021-10-31 . "Z Event" – Inoxtag bat un record sur Twitch et dérape devant 453’000 personnes . 2023-12-16 . 20 minutes . fr.
  47. Web site: 'Je suis puceau et c’est moi qui vais la soulever !' : sexisme, misogynie et harcèlement au menu du stream caritatif Zevent . 2023-12-16 . RTBF . fr.
  48. Web site: Jonniaux . Amandine . 2021-11-02 . Z Event : record de dons, harcèlement sexiste… Que fallait-il retenir de l’évènement ? . 2023-12-16 . Journal du Geek . fr-FR.
  49. Web site: 2021-11-03 . ZEvent 2021 : un record, du sexisme et un cas de harcèlement TV5MONDE - Informations . 2023-12-16 . information.tv5monde.com . fr.
  50. Web site: BENOIT-GONIN . Corentin . 2021-11-04 . " Z Event ". Il est temps de mettre des règles pour ne pas gâcher la fête . 2023-12-16 . Ouest-France.fr . fr.
  51. Web site: 2021-11-02 . Derrière les records, le ZEvent 2021 soulève une nouvelle fois la question du sexisme sur Twitch . 2023-12-16 . www.gamekult.com . fr.
  52. Web site: Corre . Maëlle Le . 2021-11-02 . Malgré son record de dons, le Z Event doit faire mieux pour protéger ses streameuses . 2023-12-16 . Madmoizelle . fr-FR.
  53. Web site: ZEvent 2022 date et participants, quand a lieu l'événement caritatif organisé par ZeratoR ? . 2022-08-05 . Breakflip . fr.
  54. Web site: ZEvent : dates, association, streamers… ZeratoR donne les détails de l’édition 2022 ! . 2022-08-05 . Jeuxvideo.com . fr.
  55. Web site: Jonniaux . Amandine . 2022-07-05 . Racisme, sexisme, greenwashing... pourquoi le ZEvent 2022 fait (encore) polémique ? . 2022-08-05 . Journal du Geek . fr-FR.
  56. Web site: Z Event: polémique autour du choix de la fondation GoodPlanet pour le prochain marathon caritatif . 2022-08-05 . BFMTV . fr.
  57. Web site: Lausson . Julien . 2022-07-09 . Z Event 2022 : GoodPlanet quitte le marathon caritatif . 2022-08-05 . Numerama . fr-FR.
  58. Web site: 2022-09-12 . VIDEO. "J'en ai ras le c** qu'il fasse sa promo sur notre dos" : Emmanuel Macron critiqué après son message de soutien au ZEvent . 2023-12-16 . Franceinfo . fr-FR.
  59. Web site: 2022-09-12 . Un message de soutien d’Emmanuel Macron au Z Event provoque la colère de plusieurs streamers . 2023-12-16 . L'Obs . fr.
  60. Web site: 2022-09-12 . Emmanuel Macron affiche son soutien au Z Event et se fait étriller par les streamers . 2023-12-16 . www.lesnumeriques.com . fr.
  61. Web site: Le ZEvent 2022 récolte plus de 10 millions d’euros et bat son record . 2023-12-16 . RTBF . fr.
  62. Web site: Worakls fera un show en live sur la chaîne de Shaunz au ZEvent 2022 . 2023-12-16 . Breakflip . fr.
  63. Web site: 2022-09-09 . Z Event 2022 : coup d'envoi du marathon caritatif des streamers du monde entier . 2023-12-16 . France 3 Occitanie . fr-FR.
  64. Web site: Alain Chabat invité du ZEvent pour un "Question pour un streamer: Burger édition" . 2023-12-16 . BFMTV . fr.
  65. Web site: Lausson . Julien . August 5, 2024 . Zerator relance le ZEvent avec un format inédit et des dizaines de streameurs . August 5, 2024 . Numerama . fr-FR.
  66. Web site: Bourieau . Théo . August 5, 2024 . Le ZEvent de retour au profit du Secours populaire . August 5, 2024 . L'Humanité . fr-FR.