Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 Raises $2.6 Million

The Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 event raised $2.6 million. Funds that this year will go to the Cancer Prevention Fund.

For its first event in 2023, GDQ Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) has raised at least $2.6 million for the Cancer Prevention Foundation. After more than a week of intense action by some of the best speedrunners in the world determined to show what they do best, no fewer than 21,527 people have donated to AGDQ 2023, with an average of $66.35.

Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 Raises $2.6 Million

While this edition did not beat the record $3.4 million AGDQ of 2022, this 2023 vintage recorded a donation of $100,000. And in one of the most memorable moments of this great marathon of video games, the player was even able to set a new world record in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

For the third year in a row, the AGDQ is being held entirely online. The event was originally to be held in Florida in front of an audience of repute. However, the organizers ultimately decided to change their minds due to government regulations regarding Covid-19 and “increased attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.”

This year’s funds will go to the Cancer Prevention Fund

AGDQ 2023 also marked the final participation of Games Done Quick founder Mike Uyama. “I realized that I need to take care of my health and focus on different activities,” he told The Verge ahead of the marathon this month. During Mike Uyama’s 13 years of operation, the organization has raised more than $41 million for charity. Not bad for an event that started in the basement, right? You can (re)watch all the speedruns from this AGDQ 2023 on the GDQ YouTube channel.

The organization’s next major event will take place in the spring, when the Summer Games Done Quick kicks off on May 28. Last year, the celebrations raised about $3 million for Doctors Without Borders.