Speedrunners Raise Over $3 Million For Charity Via Summer Games Done Quick

This year's edition of Summer Games Done Quick, a semi-annual event featuring the game speedruns and speedrunners in the United States, has given back to the community in a massive way.

(Photo : Games Done Quick - Twitter)
summer games done quick 2022

GamesRadar reports that the entire event, which ran from June 26th to July 3rd, managed to raise over $3 million for giving away to Doctors Without Borders USA. That's $3,016,200 to be exact. This was achieved via the event's first in-person gathering in Minnesota, ever since the pandemic began. A total of 134 game speedruns were performed at the gathering, and these were livestreamed as well.

Here is the announcement tweet from the ogranization sending thanks to all who made the marathon possible:

Among the games that were speedran at Summer Games Done Quick 2022 were the usual suspects in the speedrunning community as a whole. This includes PS1 classics such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro The Dragon, as well as other more "modern" titles like Portal 2 and the recently released Elden Ring.

Perhaps Elden Ring is the most impressive out of all speedruns to have been performed at SGDQ. There were two total at the event, both performed on PC. One involved speedrunner catalystz finishing the game including all Remembrances, finished in 1:53:24. The other speedrun, performed by HYP3RSOMNIAC, is a pretty impressive run completed in 0:33:58.

But while the speedruns have already come and gone, donations aren't exactly over. Anybody who still wants to do their part can visit the Summer Games Done Quick 2022 donation page. There, people can simply click the "donate" button and they'll be prompted to give however much they can spare.

The charity of choice, Doctors Without Borders, is a non-profit focused on providing medical aid to people who have been affected by war, disasters, or problematic healthcare exclusions for any reason.

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A Brief Look At The Games Done Quick Initiative

To say that the Games Done Quick initiative has done so many big things for those in need is a massive understatement. The speedrun marathon itself has been going on for years, and each time, they manage to raise millions to help out the good folks at Doctors Without Borders.

Here's a quick look at how much the event has raised in terms of donations within the last few years, via the Doctors Without Borders website. In 2018, the collective raised over $2.1 million. The next year, over $3 million. In 2020, the number was $2.3 million. And last year in 2021, it was $2.9 million.

All the featured game speedruns in the marathon are known for funny moments and incredible gameplay, as shown here in a highlight compilation from the 2019 edition of Summer Games Done Quick:

As you can see there, the speedrunners participating in SGDQ are immensely skilled - with one player for Punch Out even playing blindfolded. It's an incredible showcase of gaming skill in its own right, which is why it keeps on coming back almost every year.

Related Article: Elden Ring Has Now Been Beaten In UNDER 9 MINUTES

This article is posted on GameNGuide

Written by RJ Pierce