Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 Cancels In-Person Event

Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 has revealed that it will be online-only due to concerns around Florida's COVID policies, as well as its attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community.


Published: September 8, 2022 9:41 AM /

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Several gamers spectating someone playing at Awesome Games Done Quick in 2018

Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 has announced that it will be moving online next year. The decision was apparently made owing to concerns around Florida's COVID-19 policies, as well as the state's attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community.

Why is Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 online next year?

In an announcement on the official GDQ website, the organization says that the primary driving motivation behind its decision to move to an online event was the desire to provide "a safe and welcoming event" to its community. GDQ says that Florida's COVID-19 policies represent "continued disregard" towards the dangers of the disease, specifically naming Florida's refusal to make vaccinations mandatory at large-scale events.

The other factor that led AGDQ 2023 to move online was apparently Florida's perceived hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community. According to GDQ, Florida has been displaying "increased aggression" towards LGBTQ+ individuals in recent years. This, GDQ says, is encapsulated by the policy informally referred to as "Don't Say Gay", whereby educators cannot instruct students regarding different sexual orientations or gender identities.

A gamer plays a Nintendo Switch game while two others look on and encourage him
Awesome Games Done Quick is usually an in-person event, but the organizers have decided to host it online next year due to concerns about Florida's policies.

The organization says that it doesn't have the funds to both cancel its in-person event in Florida and relocate to a new place, so it's decided to move AGDQ '23 online instead. This would have been the first in-person event for AGDQ since 2020; both AGDQ 2021 and 2022 took place online due to COVID-related concerns.

AGDQ says that although the move to an online event will allow it to "save some on expenses", it's still relying on community support in order to recover whatever money it can from the canceled in-person Florida event. Twitch subs will count towards this amount, as will any other donations, so if you want to help AGDQ, be sure to drop them a Twitch sub when the event starts.

What is Awesome Games Done Quick?

Awesome Games Done Quick is part of the Games Done Quick speedrunning event. It's a speedrunning marathon in which gamers gather to try and break speedrunning records and complete games according to insane time restrictions. The event is hugely successful, often raising millions of dollars for charity and playing host to some pretty impressive gaming moments as well.

You won't be able to physically attend the event this year, but you'll still be able to check it out online via the official GDQ Twitch channel. Submissions for this year's Awesome Games Done Quick marathon will be open from this Sunday and will run until September 21st, and a second submission period for new games only will run between November 6th and November 12th. The event's games list will be announced in October, and the schedule will be revealed in November. Stay tuned for more on that as we get it.

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