Summer Games Done Quick 2021 raises an incredible $2.8 million for charity

Annual SGDQ event smashes last year’s total

For many years now, I’ve written articles on the coming of, the start of, and the conclusion of a variety of GDQ events. And despite having hit these headlines over and over, they’re never any the less heartwarming, any the less amazing, and any the less important. Once again, Summer Games Done Quick has knocked it out of the park, raising a staggering $2.8 million USD for a very worthy cause, all thanks to the hard work, tenacity, and generosity of the video gaming community.

Following a week of awesome challenges, lightning-fast speedruns, and tool-assisted chicanery, the curtain fell on this year’s SGDQ, which was once again held online due to COVID-19 restrictions. But even without the in-house audience or the faithful surroundings of Minnesota’s Double Tree Hilton, the SGDQ 2021 team, a global network of speedrunners, and a faithful home audience still came through, donating a grand total of $2,897,704, beating out last year’s total by almost half a million dollars. Fantastic.

The proceeds will go directly to medical organization Medicins Sans Frontieres, a global network that dispatches healthcare, resources, supplies, and medical professionals wherever it is needed on this green Earth, regardless of race, creed, or religious persuasion. Of course, given the tragedy of the global pandemic, healthcare charities such as MSF need our help now more than ever, and this money will certainly offer a boost to the non-profit organization’s global network.

SGDQ 2021 saw wildly entertaining runs on a gamut of classic and modern-day releases. Onstream this year were modern hits such as Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Last of Us, Streets of Rage 4, and Dark Souls alongside a huge selection of classics including Batman: The Video Game, Super Punch-Out!!, Silent Hill 2, Sonic 3, and Deus Ex. If you missed any of the week’s action, no worries, as each and every run is now available to view on demand — bookmarked over on the official GDQ VOD page. One highlight of note is Harvrd’s unique, brain-breakeing GeoGuessr run.

Even in the darkest of times, video game fans shine brightly. I know, I know, I say this every year — which is merely a testament to its truth. We hear so much negativity about the industry and those within it, from the local bedroom up to the highest of boardrooms. But, like every element of society, there are more than enough passionate, caring, dedicated, and proud individuals within our favorite pastime. The GDQ event remains a standard for showing off video games, and the people who play, at their most selfless. Congratulations to the GDQ staff and the runners themselves for another incredible week.

The next GDQ event will be all-women’s speedrunning showcase Flame Fatales, which will take place August 15-21. Awesome Games Done Quick will return January 9-16 2022.