Breakthrough T1D Game2Give is a program that brings together the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community and the video game community. When Insulet, the makers of Omnipod®, asked us to team up on bringing diabetes representation to Animal Crossing™, we couldn’t say no!
Animal Crossing™: New Horizons is a popular Nintendo Switch™ game that puts you in charge of your own personal island. Insulet used the tools available to Animal Crossing™ players to create Omnipod Bay, an island that reflects the experiences of people with diabetes. Breakthrough T1D and three other T1D advocacy groups—Beyond Type 1, Children with Diabetes, and Kyler Cares Foundation—have a presence on the island.
If you or your kids already play Animal Crossing™, you know it’s a charming family-friendly game that’s easy to get lost in. The same is true of Omnipod Bay! To get there, lie in bed and enter the dream code DA-9645-5879-6910. If you need help making this work, check out our Omnipod Bay FAQ for tips.
On the island, you can solve an obstacle maze, sing in a concert, explore themed areas (like diabetes camp, Bolus Beach, and the A1 Sea), walk the runway, and even piece together a hidden code to win an in-game prize. Make sure to check the bulletin board near the arrival spot for clues about what to do.
One of the coolest things on Omnipod Bay is the clothes. Fifteen outfits are available with pumps and diabetes supply bags built in, as well as varied skin tones, so you can customize your character to look more like you. There are also shirts and caps from each of the four advocacy groups. These are all free to download, and you can wear them back on your own island too. Make sure to snap some selfies!
Community members Patch Notes, Nukkular_Reaction, RogueLiliana, Resurrection Fern, and VirtuallyMarti celebrated the Omnipod Bay launch with a charity livestream event on Twitch. If you missed it live, you can check out the video below.
Want to do your own Animal Crossing™ charity stream and help us raise $15K for T1D research? Register a campaign on Tiltify and go for it! Use the hashtags #OmnipodBay and #GameOverT1D on social media to help us find your stream.
We in the diabetes community know how incredibly important it is to see people with T1D represented in pop culture. Omnipod Bay is a huge step forward, helping to normalize diabetes in a video game that has sold more than 37 million copies. We’re proud that Insulet asked Breakthrough T1D to partner on this project and we’re excited for all the Animal Crossing™ fans in our community to experience it.
You can learn more about the island and view all of the diabetes-ready fashion outfits from Insulet’s Omnipod Bay website. If you have questions about how to get to Omnipod Bay and what to do once you get there, our Omnipod Bay FAQ will help.
