Why it matters: Awesome Games Done Quick, the bi-annual speedrunning marathon for charity typically held during the cold season, is scheduled to kick off this weekend as a virtual event. This time around, Games Done Quick will be raising money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
For those not familiar with Games Done Quick, the organization hosts charity events in which some of the world’s top video game players compete – either against others, the clock, or with an unusual set of stipulations – to try and complete games as quickly as humanly possible.
These events typically have a little something for everyone, no matter what your preferred genre of game is. I’m personally looking forward to watching runs of classics like Mega Man 2, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, Bucky O'Hare and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist, among others.
As a true marathon, AGDQ starts and runs non-stop for roughly seven days straight. It’s no doubt a grueling grind for the organizers, but it’s for charity which makes it all the more worthwhile. It's not uncommon for people to willingly volunteer their time for the right cause.
Last year’s AGDQ raised more than $2.7 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, and to date, GDQ events have raised more than $31 collectively.
Awesome Games Done Quick 2022 starts on January 9 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern and runs through January 16 at around midnight.
