An amazing success for the annual speedrunning event
Another quick Awesome Games Fet event it’s over. Last week, some of the world’s best (or at least fastest) video game players gathered to make their way through a cavalcade of old and new titles, all in the name of charity.
When the curtain fell on the final race, (which made the CLG ZFG runner pass The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in just under 42 minutes), the grand total raised stood at a staggering $ 2,758,847. All of this proceeds will go directly to the Cancer Prevention Foundation, an international organization that works tirelessly to investigate life-saving developments in cancer cure.
AGDQ 2021 was the first AGDQ event to be held with strictly online capacity, forced by the restrictions of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this major hurdle, the GDQ team, the global community of speed racers and a global audience on Twitch came together to celebrate the medium of video games, with seven days in a row of exciting and occasionally mind-blowing challenges.
Newer titles like Hades, River City Girls, i Sekiro: The shadows die twice stacked against old schoolboys included Here’s the Dolphin, Strider, i Aladdin. Usual AGDQ Silent Hill, Metroid, Spyro the Dragon i Donkey Kong Country they were all present and correct, while two specifically notable challenges saw the “Bubzia” runner play Super Mario 64 blindfolded and the runner “PeekingBoo” battle through contracted platforms Celeste with a dance mat!
All AGDQ 2021 speedruns are now archived on both Twitch and YouTube, and can be quickly accessed via this handy Reddit thread. It seems like a perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday.
I know I’m like a record breaker, but it always has to be repeated: video games have a bad reputation. They did it when they dropped coins in arcades in the 80s, and they do it today as a billion-dollar industry. But aside from the scary headlines and the more toxic aspects of the fans, the game is based on a global community of dedicated players, full of people full of passion and generosity.
GDQ events represent it. And in times as chaotic, dangerous, and sad as these, the community still came together to make this important charity event a showcase of what makes our favorite pastime truly special. Congratulations to the faithful of the AGDQ – its organizers, hosts and technical team, runners and donors – for their amazing success in the most difficult circumstances. Your tireless energy and effort never ceases to amaze us all.
The Done Quick Summer Games will take place later in 2021. So practice.
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