pic.twitter.com\/oijwKOiYtY<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 Games Done Quick (@GamesDoneQuick) July 12, 2026 <\/p>\n
Games Done Quick (GDQ) also published a statement to its official X account on July 12, explaining that this decision was made in part due to concerns from the speedrunning community regarding \u201chuman rights concerns tied to the Saudi government.\u201d<\/p>\n
GDQ also said it will neither accept funds from the sponsorship nor work with said sponsor again, arguing that the partnership \u201cconflicted\u201d with its values of \u201csupporting human rights and inclusivity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The speedrunning charity group issued an apology to the community, saying it \u201cfailed to conduct the level of review our community should expect from us and that was an oversight we deeply regret and take full responsibility for.\u201d<\/p>\n
We have canceled our sponsored stream with SNK.<\/p>\n
We have heard the concerns from our community regarding this partnership, specifically the company\u2019s majority ownership by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and the human rights concerns tied to the Saudi government.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Games Done Quick (@GamesDoneQuick) July 12, 2026 <\/p>\n
\u201cWe especially want to apologize to the runners and our host on this stream, who had nothing to do with this decision and whose runs were disrupted as a result. This isn’t a reflection on them and we are grateful for their understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finally, GDQ promised to bolster its review process in regards to sponsors and partnerships, \u201cincluding closer examination of companies\u2019 ownership, to make sure they’re aligned with our values.\u201d<\/p>\n
Japanese game developer and publisher SNK notably came under majority ownership by the MiSK Foundation in November 2020, a nonprofit organization owned by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nMetal Slug Tactics Screenshots<\/h3>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIn August 2021, MiSK Foundation CEO Badr bin Hamoud AlBadr was appointed as a director of SNK, and in the nearly six years since then, MiSK has gone on to acquire roughly 96% of the company.<\/p>\n
SNK addressed concerns of Saudi involvement back in 2022, with producer and designer Yasuyuki Oda telling VideoGamesChronicle, \u201cWe’re not a political company or anything like that, so it doesn’t affect us in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n
“It has no \u2013 no \u2013 effect on our creative output. We have full freedom on what we want to create,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Summer Games Done Quick, the org\u2019s annual charity speedrunning festival, ended on July 12, raising a grand total of $2,408,701 for Doctors Without Borders and bringing its 16th iteration to an end with a bang.<\/p>\n
Virginia (she\/her) is IGN\u2019s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she\u2019s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at <\/em>@TheeMissGlaze<\/em>. <\/em><\/p>\n