Games Done Quick Cancels SNK Sponsorship Within 3 Hours Over Saudi Ownership Concerns
Updated
Updated · Aftermath · Jul 13
Games Done Quick Cancels SNK Sponsorship Within 3 Hours Over Saudi Ownership Concerns
3 articles · Updated · Aftermath · Jul 13
Summary
Less than three hours after announcing the deal, Games Done Quick scrapped an SNK-sponsored speedrunning showcase, stopped the stream mid-broadcast and said it would not accept the sponsorship money.
GDQ said community backlash focused on SNK’s majority ownership by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and human rights concerns tied to the Saudi government, which it acknowledged conflicted with its values.
The group apologized to runners and the host whose segments were disrupted, and said it had failed to conduct the level of review its community should expect.
The reversal landed the same day Summer Games Done Quick said it had raised $2,408,701 for Doctors Without Borders, sharpening criticism because the charity has treated victims of Saudi airstrikes, including after a 2015 hospital strike.