Games Done Quick is a beacon of hope for the gaming community
.jpg?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp)
Games Done Quick (GDQ), the biannual speedrunning marathon, has raised $62 million for charity since it began in 2010, according to co-owner and director of operations Matt Merkle. The event, described as a rare source of optimism in a games industry battered by layoffs and studio closures, channels donations mainly to the Prevent Cancer Foundation and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), funding real medical research and humanitarian aid.
The Prevent Cancer Foundation currently credits GDQ-funded grants for eight research projects, spanning HPV-related cancer, cervical cancer screening, childhood cancer vaccine efficacy and prostate cancer detection technology. MSF, which operates in more than 70 countries, has received over $27 million from GDQ to date, including more than $2 million raised in July 2026 alone. GDQ's largest single-event total remains the $3,416,729 raised at Awesome Games Done Quick 2022 Online, a huge leap from the roughly $10,000 raised at its first event in 2010.
- Games Done Quick has raised $62m for charity since 2010.
- Funds support Prevent Cancer Foundation research and MSF humanitarian work.
- MSF alone has received over $27m, including $2m+ in July 2026.
New here? Start with this
Games Done Quick is a charity event in which volunteer gamers play through video games as fast as possible, often for many hours at a stretch, while viewers watch online and donate money. It began in 2010 and now runs twice a year, drawing large online audiences who tune in to watch skilled players complete challenging games, sometimes using tricks or glitches to save time.
The money raised does not go to the players or the event organisers but to selected charities, chiefly the Prevent Cancer Foundation and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders. The Prevent Cancer Foundation funds cancer research and screening projects, while MSF provides medical and humanitarian aid in crisis and conflict zones around the world.
The wider video games industry has faced a difficult period in recent years, marked by job losses and the closure of some game studios. Against that backdrop, Games Done Quick's charitable fundraising has been highlighted as a more positive, community-driven aspect of gaming, connecting the hobby to tangible support for medical research and humanitarian work.