Awesome Games Done Quick 2023

The 2023 iteration of Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) served as a week-long charity marathon broadcast live on Twitch from January 8 to January 15. The primary objective of the event was to raise funds for the Prevent Cancer Foundation through a series of 150 speedrunning demonstrations. The event successfully generated $2.6 million in charitable donations, underscoring the efficacy of marathon-style live streaming as a vehicle for philanthropic engagement and community support.

Performance metrics for the 2023 event indicate a total of 9.3 million hours watched, with a peak concurrent viewership of 90,000. While Final Fantasy VII recorded the highest total watch time at 460,000 hours due to its extended airtime, Super Mario Galaxy 2 achieved significant engagement with 279,000 hours watched and a peak of 86,000 viewers during a world-record-breaking speedrun. These figures represent a slight decline in total viewership compared to the event's post-2021 average of 12.7 million hours, marking the first time since the onset of the pandemic that the marathon failed to surpass the 10 million-hour threshold.

The analysis highlights the enduring cultural relevance of marathon streaming, where the combination of high-skill gameplay and community-driven fundraising fosters deep connections between creators and audiences. By leveraging the competitive nature of speedrunning—exemplified by high-stakes races and record-breaking attempts—the event continues to serve as a prominent case study in the intersection of gaming, live streaming, and charitable advocacy.