The following main Video games Completed Fast occasion, January’s Superior Video games Completed Fast, might be an online-only occasion after the present’s organisers launched a press release saying “we don’t consider [Florida] is a secure place for our group” in gentle of the state’s putrid insurance policies in direction of Covid and marginalised people.
Whereas the Summer time Video games Completed Fast occasion made a triumphant return to a dwell occasion with crowds in July, AGDQ—whose final dwell version was in 2019 on the DoubleTree Hilton in Orlando—had for 2023 “secured a contract with a venue in Florida”, an settlement that has now been ditched in gentle of the organiser’s determination.
Right here’s their assertion in full (emphasis mine):
AGDQ2023 returns dwell, on-line from January eighth to the fifteenth, 2023, benefiting the Forestall Most cancers Basis!
Whereas we might like to return in-person, we’ve decided that to supply a secure and welcoming occasion to all it was finest that we transfer away from our initially deliberate location in Florida.
Given the state’s continued disregard for COVID-19’s risks (together with anti-mandate vaccination insurance policies) and an elevated aggression in direction of LGBTQ+ people, together with the regulation colloquially often known as “Don’t Say Homosexual,” we don’t consider it’s a secure place for our group right now.
Instantly after the success of AGDQ 2020, we secured a contract with a venue in Florida to return in 2021. Because the international pandemic was declared, we postponed in-person occasions till it was secure to return.
We’ve explored a number of choices which might enable us to stay in-person by relocating to a safer location. Sadly, the associated fee required to cancel our contract is just too nice to justify relocating AGDQ whereas paying the cancellation payment, and we’re not capable of delay our contract. This finally led us to maneuver AGDQ 2023 on-line.
Whereas the transfer to on-line will enable us to avoid wasting on bills, we nonetheless have appreciable prices to get better. We need to get better that cash the place attainable, together with with group assist by way of Twitch subs. We thank the group for his or her assist!
It’s a disgrace the transfer has value them, however hopefully the 2024 occasion can discover someplace the staff are extra comfy calling residence. Be aware this doesn’t have an effect on Summer time Video games Completed Fast, which since 2018 has been held on the DoubleTree Hilton in Bloomington, Minnesota.
