Annual speedrunning charity event Games Done Quick, which was initially scheduled for this summer, was just one of many gaming-related happenings unfortunately postponed due to the global coronavirus pandemic. However, a special online-only version of the event, “Corona Relief Done Quick,” was held from April 17 to 19.
Today, GDQ announced via their official Twitter account that the event was a rousing success. Over the course of three days, the organization raised a total of $400,000. This money will be donated to Direct Relief, a charity organization which is working to provide protective gear and medicine to healthcare workers fighting the virus on the front lines.
We also managed to break $400k raised for @DirectRelief! How about that!
Thank you so much to everyone for all your effort and all the money you have donated towards this wonderful charity during this marathon! #CRDQ
— Games Done Quick @ #SGDQ2023 (@GamesDoneQuick) April 20, 2020
Several speedrunners contributed their varied talents to the three-day event. Games covered during Corona Relief Done Quick include Dark Souls for PC, NieR: Automata, Cuphead, Super Mario Odyssey, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and more. The finale of the event was a Critical Mode speedrun of Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix+, topped off by an epic battle between a Level 1 Sora and the infamously difficult optional boss, Sephiroth of Final Fantasy VII fame. (The player, ninten866, won the fight without taking any damage whatsoever, while other presenters burst into an impromptu sing-a-long featuring Disney hits.)
Highlights from the event can still be viewed on the official Games Done Quick Twitch account, found here. Videos are planned to be uploaded to YouTube at a later date. Donations can also still be made through the official site here. One hundred percent of all donations will go to Direct Relief’s efforts to fight COVID-19.
The organizers of GDQ intend to hold the usual annual event in August. However, this might change as the global situation develops.
Did you enjoy “Corona Relief Done Quick”? What was your favorite speedrun of the weekend, and what games do you hope to see in August? Let us know!
