Summer Games Done Quick raises $2.1 million for charity

Speed running event a colossal success

Another week of amazing speed running mayhem drew to a close yesterday as Summer Games Done Quick 2018 packed up its wild week of death glitches, frame clips, cutscene skips and out-of-bounds shortcuts, all in an an effort to raise top dollar for charity.

It was an amazing success, with the total raised standing at $2,122,229 when the stream finally went off-air. This is a personal best for the SGDQ event, beating last year’s total by some $400,000. Donations – and players – came in from across the globe, once again utilising the hobby we love so dearly to do some good for those less fortunate.

The money raised will go to non-profit organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres, an International network of professionals who provide medical aid, care and relief to those who need it – wherever its needed – regardless of race, colour, creed or political persuasion. It is tireless – often dangerous – work, but the good men and women of MSF continue to save countless lives thanks to the talent of their amazing staff and the generous donations of their benefactors.

If you want to check out any of the great runs from the last week, then you can find them all queued up on the SGDQ VOD Reddit. The seven-day marathon saw speedruns on titles such as Resident Evil 4, Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and Half-Life, as well as GDQ regulars Super Metroid and Metal Gear Solid. Players engaged in head-to-head races on classics such as Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse and Mega Man 8. There were also some fun gimmick runs, such as a one-handed playthrough of Super Mario Bros.

Games Done Quick remains one of the best examples of how the video gaming community can come today to help to make a difference in this weary world. While the eternally tiresome “Evils of Video Games” headlines may be making an unwelcome return right now, events such as SGDQ ultimately showcase a truth that we, all of us, have known for years.

The next event, Awesome Games Done Quick, takes place in Rockville, MD between January 6-13, 2019. That gives you a good chunk of time to get practicing!