Games Done Quick raised more than $2.6 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation in the first video game speedrunning event of 2023. While it doesn’t match the $3.4 million raised last year at AGDQ 2022, it brings money raised at AGDC 2023 the total amount raised for charity so far by Games Done Quick up to $43 million (seen via Kotaku).
The organization, which holds two charity video game marathons each year – Awesome Games Done Quick in January and Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ), usually held in late June or early July – announced the total amount raised on Twitter, next to the hashtag “#ThankYouMike.” Games Done Quick founder Mike Uyama announced last week that he would be retiring from the charity after 13 years due to health reasons, making AGDQ 2023 likely to be his last event for some time.
The January event was originally intended to be the first in-person event for GDQ in three years, scheduled in Florida in front of a live audience. The organization later decided to remain online-only, citing the state’s covid policies and “increased aggression” toward LGBTQ+ individuals. “We don’t believe it’s a safe place for our community at this point,” GDQ said through an announcement on its website.
