Games Done Quick Founder Steps Down After More Than A Decade & Raising US$41 Million For Charity

Mike Uyama founded Games Done Quick (GDQ) back in 2010. 13 years later, he has announced that he will be leaving the role of managing director after the upcoming 2023 Awesome Games Done Quick Online event. The current GDQ operations director, Matt Merkle, will take over the role.

It's with a heavy heart that we announce Mike Uyama, GDQ founder, will be stepping down after AGDQ 2023.

Without Mike, GDQ wouldn't be what it is today and we thank him for everything he's done to move our community forward.

For more information head to: https://t.co/fLQMvAPKs7

— Games Done Quick (@GamesDoneQuick) January 5, 2023

It’s impressive how far Games Done Quick has come since the very first stream from the basement of Uyama’s mother’s house. Over that period of time, they have raised over US$41 million for charity with their streams showcasing speedrunning games and more.

Uyama said:

“Since I started Games Done Quick, I’ve seen it grow from a small volunteer effort to the thriving organization that it is today,” said Uyama. “I would not have been able to do it without the help of Matt Merkle and the growth of GDQ would not have been possible without the help of the speedrunning community, which has grown both in size and diversity over the years. I’m not sure where I’ll go next, but one thing I am sure about is that I will take a break and a vacation before diving headfirst into my next adventure.”

Awesome Games Done Quick Online 2023 is slated to stream from 9 to 16 January 2023 (GMT+8) on their official Twitch channel. If you’re interested in seeing amazing speedrunning tech, here’s the full schedule.