Mike Uyama – the founder of charity speedrunning organisation Games Done Quick – will be making his departure after over a decade at the helm. Current director of operations Matt Merkle will step up and take on the outgoing Uyama’s role as owner and managing director.
In a press release published on January 5 by GDQ, Uyama praises his successor, as well as the community which has backed the organisation since the first charity fundraiser – hosted in Uyama’s mum’s basement back in 2010.
“Since I started Games Done Quick, I’ve seen it grow from a small volunteer effort to the thriving organisation that it is today”, Uyama says. “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.”
Though it’s unclear what Uyama’s next project will look like, he intends to take time out before “diving headfirst” into his next adventure.
Merkle, meanwhile, says that he feels “incredibly honoured” to be taking up the mantle from his longtime colleague and friend. “I would not be where I am today without Mike and the team he has built”, he states.
Uyama’s final event in charge of GDQ will be Awesome Games Done Quick Online 2023, which kicks off on January 8, running through to January 15. As is tradition, fans can tune into the event on the official GDQ Twitch channel.