All articles tagged with #speedrunning
Kotaku highlights eight standout speedruns from Summer Games Done Quick 2026, including Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Any% (Dr4gonBlitz), Don’t Stop, Girlypop!, Gordon & Daxter, Dunkadillo, Hollow Knight: Silksong (collecting all 30 fleas), Manual Samuel, Total Nuclear Annihilation (pinball), and Sonic Dream Team, as SGDQ wraps up on July 11, showcasing a mix of precision tricks, humor, and eclectic games.
Summer Games Done Quick 2026 runs through July 11 as a charity speedrunning marathon for Doctors Without Borders, featuring a diverse lineup from Kingdom Hearts randomizers to Hollow Knight, with 24/7 livestreams on Twitch/YouTube and a spotlight on the gaming community’s positive, inclusive spirit despite broader industry issues.
SGDQ 2026 runs July 5–12 with 69+ speedruns spanning AAA to indie titles, streamed on Twitch and YouTube to support Doctors Without Borders. Highlights include Tunic (with the developer present), Super Mario Odyssey (story moons), Sonic 3 & Knuckles (glitched), Hollow Knight: Silksong "Awoo%" run, Pokémon FireRed Elite Four twice, and Elden Ring in co-op. Full schedule is on the SGDQ site, and the event remains a beloved yearly highlight for gamers.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will headline SGDQ 2026’s Summer Games Done Quick finale in Minneapolis (July 6–11), with new runs from Pragmata, Saros, and Mouse: P.I. for Hire alongside fan favorites and nostalgic challenges, as the charity-marathon tradition continues to support Doctors Without Borders with its playful, vaudeville-style speedrunning and crowd-pleasing moments.
Eurogamer reports The Blood of Dawnwalker’s freeform structure allows skilled players to skip most content after the Prologue and rush Brencis’ castle to defeat the vampire, potentially reducing a ~50-hour RPG to a much shorter run — but it’s difficult, not intended for first playthroughs, and may cause you to miss large portions of the game and trigger its infamy system. Release is September 3 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
A&R Atelier announced Ecco the Dolphin: Complete, a remaster collection that bundles all versions of Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco: The Tides of Time, plus a brand-new contemporary Ecco game that extends the franchise into the modern era. The project is built by original creators and adds built-in speedrunning, achievements, and leaderboards. Platforms and release date have not been announced, but the team is inviting players to participate in early access and Earth Day-related community activities on the official site.
A&R Atelier has announced Ecco the Dolphin: Complete, a collection that bundles every version of the first two Ecco games (from 8-bit to 16-bit) along with a modern, built-for-the-era new title. The package will feature built-in speedrunning, online leaderboards, achievements, and customizable courses. Platforms and a release date are not disclosed yet, and some titles like Ecco Jr. and Defender of the Future are not included; a Switch 1/2 release remains possible.
A&R Atelier unveils Ecco the Dolphin: Complete, a definitive remaster package that includes all Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco: The Tides of Time versions plus a brand-new contemporary game, built by the original development team; it adds speedrunning features, achievements, leaderboards, and customizable cross‑title courses, with early access via eccothedolphin.com for Earth Day.
After declaring himself cooked and nearly quitting, speedrunner Suigi returned to Mario 64 and posted a 1:35:25 120-star run, shaving 2.6 seconds off his own world record.
A Swiss speedrunner accidentally triggers a major time-save in the Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen Switch port by pressing L in Oak’s lab, which brings up the help menu, silences several sound cues, and skips the fanfare when catching wild Pokémon. The result is a roughly 2.68-second savings per Pokémon captured, a sizable impact for multiple speedrun categories and a threat to current Elite 4 Round 2 records under Gunnermaniac.
Awesome Games Done Quick 2026 wrapped in Pittsburgh with about £1.8m ($2.44m) raised for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, highlighted by a 70-player Super Mario 64 relay that finished in 1:55:53 and streamed live on Twitch/YouTube; the event also featured a Pokémon Emerald speedrun and sets the stage for the next GDQ in Minneapolis in February to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. Since 2010, GDQ events have raised more than $60m for various charities.
The Games Done Quick charity speedrunning marathon doubles as a launchpad for small indie games, giving titles like Bat to the Heavens and Small Saga crucial exposure to tens of thousands of viewers, boosting sales and wishlists through Twitch buzz and community chatter—though developers warn such attention may come with tradeoffs beyond the charitable focus.
Awesome Games Done Quick 2026 is a week-long charity event starting January 4, featuring 24/7 speedruns of popular and classic games, streamed live on Twitch to benefit the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
Nintendo has prohibited the use of its games at the upcoming RTA in Japan Summer 2025 charity speedrunning event due to a lack of prior permission, marking a shift from previous years where games were showcased without formal approval. The organization is now required to seek individual permissions for each game and event, leading to the exclusion of Nintendo titles this year. This change reflects Nintendo's increased protective stance and the event's growing prominence.
Japan's largest speedrunning event, RTA, will not feature Nintendo games this year due to Nintendo's policy requiring prior permission for game use, stemming from their recent transition into a legal entity. While previous Nintendo game streams at RTA are now considered unauthorized, the organizers are working with Nintendo to secure permissions for future events. The restriction is part of Nintendo's cautious approach to game streaming and event participation.