343i donating REQ pack proceeds to disaster relief

343 Industries today announced it's using a special $10 Halo 5 REQ pack to raise funds for humanitarian relief, giving gamers the opportunity to make an impact on those affected by Hurricane Maria and the recent wildfires.

I've been quite critical of Halo 5's REQ packs in the past, but I think it's absolutely amazing that 343 Industries and Microsoft are using these lootboxes to help real people. The special Relief and Recovery REQ Pack costs $10, and 343i will donate 100% of the proceeds to disaster relief organization GlobalGiving.

"For every purchase of the "Relief and Recovery REQ pack" from Halo 5: Guardians between Oct. 12, 2017 to Oct. 23, 2017, Microsoft will donate all proceeds of the Relief and Recovery REQ pack to GlobalGiving (www.globalgiving.org)," reads the official listing. "The Relief and Recovery REQ Pack unlocks five permanent REQs selected from the most popular visual customizations in Halo 5: Guardians - all of them Ultra Rare or better rarity (if available), plus ten boost cards of Rare or better rarity."

Here's what 343 Industries' Grimbrother One had to say about the program:

Like countless others, many of us here at 343 have been impacted in a variety of ways by the seemingly unending string of challenges reality has thrown humanity's way recently. From the Gulf Coast to Puerto Rico, from hurricanes to earthquakes to wildfires, there's been no shortage of unbelievable hardship suffered by folks from all walks.

If there's one thing I've learned about the Halo community though, it's that when the hour seems darkest, help is always on the way. With that in mind, this morning we launched the Relief & Recovery REQ Pack, the proceeds from which will go to GlobalGiving in effort to aid those still in desperate need of some assistance and respite.

In addition to assisting with recovery efforts, the Relief & Recovery REQ Pack will receive five permanent REQs selected from the most popular visual customization REQs of ultra-rare or better rarity, if available, as well as ten rare or better boost cards. You can grab the pack from Oct. 12-23 both in the Halo 5 in-game REQ Store or in the Xbox Live Store for $9.99 USD.

And to any community members directly affected by these recent disasters, know that we're rooting for you every step of the way. You've got Spartans on the ground, and we're not going anywhere...