In a fistfighting competition against cancer, Mordhau pugilists raised thousands of dollars to pay for the medical bills of a fellow player.

The medieval combatants of Mordhau put down their swords over the weekend to fight a nobler and more honest war: the never-ending battle against cancer and the shortcomings of the American healthcare system. The 9th annual Mordhau Fistfighting Championship transformed its yearly fisticuffs to a fundraiser for a fellow player facing the massive costs of cancer treatment.

Cameron Elliott, a 21 year old Mordhau player was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma earlier this year, an aggressive blood tumor. Elliott's family is now facing a mountain of medical bills after just a few short months of expensive treatment. Elliott said, in a video that was released last week, "It is no surprise that my healthcare system in the United States has failed me." "And my treatment, which has been long and difficult, has also been extraordinarily expensive."

Elliott's treatment has cost more than $36,000. His family's savings only covered half of the medical bills. This leaves him with a $18,000 debt. Elliott's fellow fighters in the Mordhau Fistfighting Championship will bloody their knuckles to pay off that debt.

The MFC, a player-run tournament that features 1-on-1 duels of fistfighting, began using its annual contests to raise money in its fifth year. It raised over $10,000 for organizer Philip Hall’s father whose service-related disabilities treatments were not covered by US Veterans Affairs. Hall, via email, said that the MFC is a very small community. However, it has managed to raise thousands in fundraising for causes such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Over two days, 64 fighters fought in MFC IX. The 400 or so viewers contributed 36 donations totaling more than $2,000 to Elliott's GoFundMe. These numbers may seem modest, but the average donation is around $55, which is admirable for a user-run event. Triternion's Mordhau developer gave the competition their blessing by increasing rewards in-game and DLC based on placement.

I must admit that I was surprised by the mutual support shown by Mordhau’s community, given its history of player toxicity. Hall said, "We've shown that Mordhau has a heart bigger than its toxicity." In our small community, people who trash-talk and troll in chat could be the people who donate for your cancer treatment. Maybe there's something here for my own cynical heart. (I'll still probably leave chat off when I'm in Mordhau.)

Elliott, who has helped run MFC's previous tournaments, says that its continued fundraising efforts are a reminder to find help when needed. Elliott said, "To see our work come back to me at a time when I needed it makes me very proud and grateful to be a member of the Mordhau community." "The passion and generosity shown by the participants and organizers is something that never ceases to amaze and make me happy to know there are still good people in the world," Elliott said.