Games Done Quick (GDQ), known for its charity speedrunning events, has canceled a sponsored stream featuring Metal Slug developer SNK. The decision followed significant community backlash concerning SNK's majority ownership by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), a sovereign wealth fund with ties to the country's human rights record.
Sponsorship Oversight
The SNK-sponsored stream, intended to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Metal Slug series, was announced and subsequently cut short by GDQ. Viewers expressed criticism over GDQ partnering with a studio largely owned by the PIF, given the Saudi government's human rights concerns.
GDQ issued a statement acknowledging the community's objections. "We have heard the concerns from our community regarding this partnership, specifically the company’s majority ownership by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, and the human rights concerns tied to the Saudi government," the organization stated on social media. GDQ confirmed they would not accept funds from the sponsorship and would cease working with SNK on this basis, emphasizing their commitment to human rights and inclusivity.
The organization attributed the oversight to a failure in their review process. "We failed 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," GDQ explained. They plan to review and strengthen their procedures for evaluating sponsorship proposals moving forward. GDQ also apologized to the stream's host and participating speedrunners, whose runs were disrupted by the cancellation.
This incident highlights the challenges faced by organizations in navigating sponsorships with entities connected to governments with controversial human rights records. The swift cancellation and subsequent apology suggest GDQ aims to rebuild trust with its community by implementing more rigorous vetting processes for future partnerships.