Team Fordzilla embarks on charitable “Gaming Transit” this summer

How cool is this? Team Fordzilla, the official esports team for the Ford Motor Company, is going on a road trip to bring gaming and sim racing to children across various parts of Europe.  

With their new tricked out “Vanzilla”, Team Fordzilla members are gearing up for a “Gaming Transit” across France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK to “deliver an exciting and engaging experience for children with disabilities,” aiming to “share accessibility, inclusivity and competition with gamers”. 

The road trip starts next week in Spain and will give about 100 kids on the first go a chance to join in on the fun. The Ford party van has three separated gaming suites (that are intended to be cleaned easily in a post-pandemic world) and a pop-up tent for the back which will feature two sim racing rigs from Next Level Racing. The rigs are equipped with a Thrustmaster driving apparatus and large BenQ gaming monitors. 

Inside suites will feature console gaming available on the Xbox Series S. The entry at the back of the van is accessible by wheelchair, plus there are “adaptive controllers that allow external buttons, switches or joysticks to be connected to create specific custom set-up,” so accessibility for all is a key component in this road trip. 

What’s a Fordzilla, you may ask? Well, I’m glad you did. Team Fordzilla competes professionally on platforms such as rFactor 2, RaceRoom, Gran Turismo, and special events on iRacing, but it’s not all about the wins. Per the Team Fordzilla website, they believe that “gaming should first and foremost be fun,” with the hope to bring as many laughs as they do wins to the table.  

“Team Fordzilla believes that gaming is for everyone and that laughs are more important than high scores,” said Emmanuel Lubrani, senior manager, Brand Communications and Content Development, Ford of Europe. “Our ‘Gaming Transit’, which we nicknamed ‘Vanzilla’ during development, road trip will take that fun directly to children across Europe and will include a few surprises to help the wonderful organizations who support them every day.” 

With as highly competitive and cutthroat the esports industry can be, it’s fantastic to have an entity that cares about people having a good time. They are the perfect team to be taking their talents are resources across Europe to give those less fortunate a chance at enjoying something many of us take for granted. 

“I cannot wait to be part of the ‘Gaming Transit’ road trip and see how much fun we can bring to children across Europe,” said Angelo Bülow, Team Fordzilla Germany captain. “Team Fordzilla is all about grassroots talent, so who knows. Maybe the road trip will help us find our next star signing.” 

All in all, this is a wonderful display of charity, and I can’t wait to see more updates as the tour continues. Kudos to Team Fordzilla on a job well done, hopefully more esports organizations follow in their footsteps.