Credit – Screenshot from Kamala Harris’ YouTube channel

Fan example of the popular video game Fortnite Starting from Monday, you can step into a new virtual world, Liberty Town, USACreated by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris‘ campaign.

In Freedom Town, available through Epic Games Inc. Fortnite There are campaign signs on the platform for Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. Players take advantage of tax breaks on small businesses, collect construction materials, and build new homes to reduce housing costs. They can also throw exploding footballs at opponents; This refers to Walz’s time as a high school coach.

Video games are the latest battleground for candidates chasing young voters. That’s a particular focus for Harris, as it has been lately. surveys suggests that young male voters, and especially young Black men, are more likely to vote for Republicans and former President Donald Trump more than in the past.

The Trump campaign made its own pitch to the players. In August, the former president appeared live with Adin Ross, who became famous for starring in Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.’s games. NBA 2K And Grand Theft Auto. Ross hosts his livestreams on Kick.com, which is operated by the owner of Australian crypto casino Stake. Although analysts questioned whether Kick’s metrics were accurate, approximately 564,000 people watched the channel, according to the company.

Trump talked about the economy and immigration. A spokesman for the former Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Over the weekend, Walz joined Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York to play. Madden NFL 25 And Crazy Taxi on the game broadcasting platform Twitch.

Read more: No, Tim Walz Didn’t Recommend AOC Become Speaker of the House

While playing, the two discussed political issues, from housing assistance for first-time homebuyers to the Biden administration’s stance on the war in Gaza. Walz felt nostalgic for Sega’s 25-year-old Dreamcast video game console.

Last week, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders appeared on Twitch and YouTube alongside several video game influencers to promote the Harris campaign. Videos of the livestream were viewed nearly a million times on YouTube and Twitch after the event.

Harris’ YouTube channel posted a trailer for Freedom Town on Monday, powered by a song by rapper Megan Thee Stallion. The campaign is also working with gaming luminaries like Jordan “HusKerrs” Thomas and Morgan “Modelmorg” Pope to announce the new virtual world.

During Fortnite It is managed by Epic, which is not directly involved in the design of Freedom Town. Developers can create their own “maps” in-game using the tools provided by Epic.

Whether it will work for Harris remains to be seen; As of midday Monday, Freedom Town had fewer than 150 active players.

Contact us at [email protected].