Games Done Quick

File:Summer Games Done Quick attendees (48149404692).jpg

Speedrunners take turns demonstrating their prowess at beating various video games in the quickest possible time, done in front of an audience as well as a livestream through Twitch.{{Cite news|url=https://kotaku.com/watch-the-first-day-of-the-weeklong-awesome-games-done-1790948260|title=Watch The Final Days Of The Weeklong Awesome Games Done Quick Charity Marathon|last=Gach|first=Ethan|newspaper=Kotaku|language=en-US|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-date=January 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114001553/http://kotaku.com/watch-the-first-day-of-the-weeklong-awesome-games-done-1790948260|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/01/prepare-your-switch-tab-shortcut-at-work-awesome-games-done-quick-is-back/|title=Awesome Games Done Quick is indeed awesome, will ruin productivity all week|newspaper=Ars Technica|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-date=January 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114011041/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/01/prepare-your-switch-tab-shortcut-at-work-awesome-games-done-quick-is-back/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/09/awesome-games-done-quick-2017-started/|title=Awesome Games Done Quick speedruns another week|last=O'Connor|first=Alice|date=January 9, 2017|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|language=en-US|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-date=January 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110144757/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/09/awesome-games-done-quick-2017-started/|url-status=live}} Sometimes these runs may be executed in an unusual or specific way, such as fully completing every level, completing a game blindfolded,{{Cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/5/12098530/speedrunner-castlevania-symphony-of-the-night-romscout-blindfolded-games-done-quick|title=Watch a speedrunner complete Castlevania: Symphony of the Night blindfolded|last=Biery|first=Thomas|date=July 5, 2016|website=Polygon|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-date=January 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116162826/http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/5/12098530/speedrunner-castlevania-symphony-of-the-night-romscout-blindfolded-games-done-quick|url-status=live}} or featuring multiple runners racing against one another to complete a game first.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/01/13/11-amazing-speedruns-from-awesome-games-done-quick-2016|title=11 Amazing Speedruns from Awesome Games Done Quick 2016|last=Otero|first=Jose|date=January 12, 2016|website=IGN|language=en-US|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-date=November 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116094815/http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/01/13/11-amazing-speedruns-from-awesome-games-done-quick-2016|url-status=live}} Video games run in Games Done Quick events include both retro and modern titles. The runs typically feature commentary from the runner(s) or experienced commentators, as well as donation messages read by an announcer.

Most of the popular runs feature video game glitches{{Cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/9/12135296/summer-games-done-quick-2016-roundup-sgdq-2016|title=Summer Games Done Quick 2016 roundup: The biggest surprises of the week|last=Biery|first=Thomas|date=July 9, 2016|website=Polygon|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-date=January 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116162925/http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/9/12135296/summer-games-done-quick-2016-roundup-sgdq-2016|url-status=live}} and discussion between the runner and the commentators, most frequently describing techniques or using observational humor and banter.{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/07/what-to-watch-during-the-summer-games-done-quick-speedrun-marathon/|title=What to watch during the Summer Games Done Quick speedrun marathon|newspaper=Ars Technica|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-date=May 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521184833/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/07/what-to-watch-during-the-summer-games-done-quick-speedrun-marathon/|url-status=live}} Humor and banter is especially used for non-interactive or repetitive sequences that don't require the runner to use much or any skill. Donations from viewers may feature humorous comments that contain inside jokes among the speedrunning community, as well as more personal acknowledgments concerning the charity donated to. Because of the live broadcast and wider audience, runners and commentators are encouraged to refrain from using strong profanity and offensive behavior.{{Cite web|url=https://gamesdonequick.com/rules|title=Games Done Quick|website=gamesdonequick.com|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-date=January 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108195447/https://gamesdonequick.com/rules|url-status=live}}

When donating, donors have the option to put their money towards a particular incentive. These incentives can be in the form of bonus speedruns, showcases of additional tricks or glitches, or an in-game decision such as naming the player character.

File:Games Done Quick logo.PNG

Writer and speedrunner Eric Koziel identifies two important precursors to Games Done Quick: the "Desert Bus for Hope" donation drive organized by LoadingReadyRun in November 2007, and a series of charity speedrun marathons held by TheSpeedGamers starting in March 2008.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0014/1962/files/SpeedrunScience-010518_4e78a515-1852-4daf-ad5f-3f870cd569a8.pdf |date=January 5, 2018 |title=Speedrun Science: A Long Guide to Short Playthroughs |author=Koziel, Eric |publisher=Fangamer |access-date=January 16, 2018 |archive-date=January 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117011948/https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0014/1962/files/SpeedrunScience-010518_4e78a515-1852-4daf-ad5f-3f870cd569a8.pdf |url-status=live }}

Users of the site Speed Demos Archive decided to hold a charity marathon in January 2010,{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/01/awesome-games-done-quick-2014/ |title=Speeding Through Classic Games to Beat Cancer |newspaper=Wired.com |access-date=January 9, 2016 |archive-date=January 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126053108/http://www.wired.com/2014/01/awesome-games-done-quick-2014/ |url-status=live |last1=Rigney |first1=Ryan }} during MAGFest 8. It was themed around 8-bit and 16-bit video games and thus dubbed "Classic Games Done Quick" (after the 1990s speedrunning project Quake Done Quick). Internet connectivity problems at the MAGFest hotel forced SDA administrator Mike Uyama to relocate the event to his mother's residence, but it raised over $10,000 for CARE.{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/summer-games-done-quick-is-this-weekend-watch-and-be-wowed-333/ |title=Summer Games Done Quick Starts This Weekend: Watch and Be Wowed |newspaper=Vice.com |date=July 24, 2015 |access-date=January 9, 2016 |archive-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129190355/http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/summer-games-done-quick-is-this-weekend-watch-and-be-wowed-333 |url-status=live }}

Following that initial success, the first Awesome Games Done Quick marathon was held in January 2011, expanding from two days to five days, incorporating newer games such as Halo and Portal, and raising more than $50,000 for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.{{cite web |url=http://www.kevinbondelli.com/2013/01/11/awesome-games-done-quick-has-already-raised-250k-for-prevent-cancer-foundation/#.VpFuvX2LTnA |title=Awesome Games Done Quick Has Already Raised $250K for Prevent Cancer Foundation |newspaper=Kevinbondelli.com |access-date=January 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324194256/http://www.kevinbondelli.com/2013/01/11/awesome-games-done-quick-has-already-raised-250k-for-prevent-cancer-foundation/#.VpFuvX2LTnA |archive-date=March 24, 2016 |url-status=dead }} The first Summer Games Done Quick was held in August 2011, raising $20,000 for the Organization for Autism Research.{{cite web |url=http://www.researchautism.org/resources/newsletters/2011/September_2011.asp |title=September_2011 |newspaper=Researchautism.org |access-date=January 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055828/http://www.researchautism.org/resources/newsletters/2011/September_2011.asp |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}{{cite web |url=https://netguide.co.nz/story/gamers-speed-run-for-charity/ |title=NetGuide NZ - Gamers speed-run for charity |newspaper=Https |access-date=January 9, 2016 |archive-date=August 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801192041/https://netguide.co.nz/story/gamers-speed-run-for-charity/ |url-status=live }} Since then, both Awesome Games Done Quick and Summer Games Done Quick have recurred annually, soon raising significantly larger amounts than these early marathons.

A one-off additional marathon was held in March 2011 to support victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan; Japan Relief Done Quick raised over $25,000. In addition, a one-off promotional event was held on March 20, 2015, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the God of War franchise. Over the course of five hours, God of War Done Quick ended up raising $3,500 for The AbleGamers Foundation.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Summer 2020 marathon, both 2021 marathons, and the Winter 2022 marathon were held as virtual events. In-person attendance returned for SGDQ 2022 under strict social distancing, masking, and vaccine mandate protocol, with all attendees required to have a full series of COVID-19 vaccine and booster dose,{{Cite web |title=Games Done Quick |url=https://gamesdonequick.com/covid |access-date=2022-07-01 |website=gamesdonequick.com}} while also continuing to intersperse remote runners alongside those present on-stage.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-09 |title=Summer Games Done Quick 2022 Schedule Is Live: Elden Ring, Kirby, Halo Infinite, & More |url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/summer-games-done-quick-2022-schedule-speedrun-sgdq-elden-ring-kirby-yakuza-lad-halo-infinite/ |access-date=2022-07-01 |website=The Escapist |language=en-US}} The Winter AGDQ 2023 event was intended to be an in-person event held in Orlando, Florida, but was moved to a virtual event after controversies due to the Florida state government's stances on LGBT rights and COVID-19 (the state strictly prohibits vaccine mandates).{{Cite web |last=Marshall |first=Cass |date=2022-09-07 |title=Games Done Quick scraps Florida event, citing state's COVID and anti-LGBTQ policies |url=https://www.polygon.com/23341281/awesome-games-done-quick-online-dates-florida-cancellation |access-date=2022-09-07 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Parrish |first=Ash |date=2022-09-07 |title=Awesome Games Done Quick 2023 cancels its live event in Florida |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/7/23341082/awesome-games-done-quick-2023-online-event-florida-ron-desantis |access-date=2022-09-08 |website=The Verge |language=en}} Ahead of the event, Uyama announced that he would be stepping down from his role in GDQ after 13 years "to take care of my health and kind of focus on different activities".{{Cite web |last=Parrish |first=Ash |date=2023-01-06 |title=Games Done Quick founder steps down after completing 13-year any% speedrun |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/6/23542796/games-done-quick-2023-mike-uyama-interview |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}} In February 2023, it was announced he had postponed his departure to cover for his successor's illness.{{cite news |last1=Denzer |first1=TJ |title=Games Done Quick founder postpones plans to step down amid medical emergency |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/134006/games-done-quick-mike-uyama-postpones-exit |access-date=4 June 2023 |work=Shacknews |date=3 February 2023 |language=en}}

Speedrunning records have been set at various GDQ marathons in games including Super Mario Galaxy 2,{{cite news |last1=Nattrass |first1=J. J. |title=Watch this 'Super Mario Galaxy 2' speedrunner break a world record live at Games Done Quick |url=https://www.nme.com/news/games-done-quick-super-mario-world-record-galaxy-two-twitch-3378750 |access-date=14 February 2025 |work=NME |date=11 January 2023}} Superman 64 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.{{cite web |title=GDQ VODs |url=https://gdqvods.com/category/world-record-runs |website=gdqvods.com |access-date=14 February 2025 |language=en}}

Originally called Classic Games Done Quick (CGDQ), this annual marathon is held every year in early January. It raises money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

Introduced in 2011 as a companion to AGDQ, this marathon is usually held in late June or early July and raises money for Doctors Without Borders. Since 2015, the event has typically been held in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region.

Games Done Quick Express (GDQx) is an annual three-day marathon held at TwitchCon since 2018. There was no Games Done Quick Express event held in 2020 or 2021 due to the cancellation of TwitchCon those years, nor was there a Games Done Quick Express event held during the 2022 TwitchCon.

Frame Fatales is a week-long marathon featuring only women and non-binary runners. It started in 2019 as a four-day event and started fundraising for the Malala Fund in 2020. As of 2022, the event has been held twice a year in February–March and August as Frost Fatales and Flame Fatales, respectively.

As GDQ events have become more popular, there have been several controversies, with players and commentators being banned, and with the stream chat having to be muted.{{cite news |title=As 'Games Done Quick' Gets Bigger, So Do Its Controversies [Updated] |url=https://kotaku.com/as-games-done-quick-gets-bigger-so-do-its-controversie-1791393815 |access-date=8 July 2022 |work=Kotaku |date=19 January 2017 |language=en-us}} GDQ has noted they advise attendees to avoid "topics of conversation that are polarizing or controversial in nature" as well as avoiding harassing other players. Some attendees have been banned{{Cite web |date=2022-10-13 |title=List Of Everyone Who Has Been Banned From GDQ, Ever - Streamer Tactics |url=https://streamertactics.com/gdq-ban-list/ |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=streamertactics.com |language=en-us}} for making inappropriate comments, although there are criticisms that some of the bans may be without merit.

In 2017, a commentator, PvtCinnamonBun, on a speedrun for the game Ape Escape 2 for AGDQ 2017, was banned from all future events for supposedly wearing a "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) hat on stream shortly after Donald Trump's election to the United States presidency. However, according to Kotaku, PvtCinnamonBun's ban was revoked since it was not actually a MAGA hat, but GDQ officials banned him again for supposedly unplugging a power strip cable. Another speedrunner, Cyberdemon531, was also banned from the event for owning the MAGA hat in the first place.

In 2018, speedrunner "BubblesDelFuego", who speedruns Dark Souls and Fallout 4, was banned from all future GDQ events after sharing edible medicinal cannabis with a friend, which resulted in that friend having a panic attack and being transported to the hospital by paramedics. Bubbles consumed edible cannabis for chronic pain resulting from complications with Hodgkin lymphoma. Bubbles told Kotaku that although he understood why he was banned, he believed that the GDQ "enforcement" staff abused their power and were misinformed about tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active chemical in cannabis.{{Cite web |last=Alexandra |first=Heather |date=2018-03-05 |title=Speedrunner Says He's Banned From All GDQ Events After Sharing His Medical Marijuana |url=https://kotaku.com/speedrunner-says-hes-banned-from-all-gdq-events-after-s-1823525420 |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=Kotaku |language=en-us}}

At SGDQ 2019, speedrunner "QuinnAce" (formerly "ConnorAce") used a spliced run to illegitimately claim the world record on Clustertruck for the "NoAbility%" category, depriving the legitimate record holder from being invited. The run was treated with suspicion due to it not being submitted officially to speedrun.com, with the video being unlisted on YouTube prior to QuinnAce's acceptance into SGDQ. In October 2019, QuinnAce's run was exposed by the YouTuber documentarian Apollo Legend.{{Citation |title=This World Record Speedrun is Fake! | date=October 12, 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbGE_LCYG24 |language=en |access-date=2023-02-21}}{{Cite web |title=Summer Games Done Quick Returns to Live Events After 2 Years |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/summer-games-done-quick-returns-to-live-events-after-2-years |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=PCMAG |date=June 29, 2022 |language=en}}

At AGDQ 2020, various runners, including "Luzbelheim" (or "Luz"), were scheduled to run a relay playthrough of Final Fantasy VIII. Hours before, however, Luz's Twitter bio went viral for his comment that he hates "feminazism", identifies as "deminonbinary", and he uses the pronouns "luz/luz".{{Cite web |last=Malmgren |first=Evan |date=2020-01-13 |title=GDQ Suspends Speedrunner With 'Feminazism' In Twitter Profile, Raising Lots Of Questions |url=https://kotaku.com/gdq-suspends-speedrunner-with-feminazism-in-twitter-pro-1840979327 |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=Kotaku |language=en-us}} Other online news publications negatively reacted to GDQ organizers allowing Luz to play in the relay playthrough.{{Cite web |last=Martinez |first=Ignacio |date=2020-01-09 |title=Games Done Quick let proud anti-feminist speedrunner stream to over 100,000 viewers |url=https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/gdq-anti-feminist-speedrunner/ |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=The Daily Dot |language=en-US}} Luz was given a ban without details about its length.

At SGDQ 2022, speedrunner "Mekarazium" admitted that he faked a run of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Blade Wolf DLC. The game was played remotely, unlike most of the other games at the event, and the DLC was a donation incentive. While the main game was played live by Mekarazium, the DLC was pre-recorded. Viewers quickly noted discrepancies with the run. Mekarazium admitted to faking the run and was banned from future GDQ events.{{cite news |last1=Nightingale |first1=Ed |title=GDQ speedrunner banned after admitting run was faked |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/gdq-speedrunner-banned-after-admitting-run-was-faked |access-date=8 July 2022 |work=Eurogamer.net |date=5 July 2022 |language=en-gb}}{{cite news |last1=Coleman |first1=Jack |title=Speedrunner admits his SGDQ 2022 world-record was fake |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/runner-admits-world-record-summer-games-done-quick-2022-run-faked-3262281 |access-date=8 July 2022 |work=NME |date=5 July 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Gach |first1=Ethan |title=Metal Gear Speedrunner Reveals He Faked 'Live' World Record, Claims It's A 'Puzzle' |url=https://kotaku.com/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-sgdq-2022-speedrun-fake-1849144004 |access-date=8 July 2022 |work=Kotaku |date=5 July 2022 |language=en-us}}

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Category:2010 establishments in the United States

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Category:Speedrunning

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