The Summer Games Done Quick charity speedrunning marathon has now concluded after a full week of excitement. That's 7 days, 24 hours a day, all full of speedrunning dozens of awesome games and community fun. It's only fair that SGDQ was appropriately rewarded for everyone's efforts. Donators stepped up once again, helping this year's SGDQ cross $3 million once more. For the first in-person Games Done Quick event since the pandemic began, this is an accomplishment everyone can be proud of.The final donation total for Summer Games Done Quick is $3.02 million. The $3 million mark was met during the show's finale, where all of SGDQ's remaining participants gathered in the main hall and offered their thanks to everyone at home. The extra $16,000 came during a post-show special bonus game, an Any% speedrun of Elden Ring. The bonus game would only unlock if a $3 million threshold was met, so donators upped their generosity in SGDQ's final moments to make it happen.Like all modern SGDQ events, all $3.02 million in donations from this year's show will be going to a single charity, Doctors Without Borders. Doctors Without Borders is a humanitarian organization that delivers emergency medical support in conflict zones and regions impacted by endemic diseases. In other words, SGDQ's massive fundraising effort will quickly lead to relief for those in need across the world.
As far as how well SGDQ has performed compared to other Games Done Quick events, there's a lot of positivity to be had. This year's event didn't break any records, but it was the highest value SGDQ since the pandemic began. The 2019 SGDQ brought in $3.04 million, just outperforming this year's event. The 2022 AGDQ, in comparison, raised $3.44 million, so SGDQ will have some ground to make up next year.
Some of the highlights of this year's SGDQ include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time beta showcase run, the Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine runs, Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze runs, the Happy Humble Burger Farm run, Metal Gear Solid Rising Revengeance, Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, the Super Mario Maker 2 relay race, and many, many more. Every single segment was full of talent on display.
For many, this past week has been filled with controversial events on a worldwide scale. SGDQ 2022 was perfectly timed, in that sense, offering a respite from everything else going on. The added benefit of being able to donate and contributing to something meaningful made it all the more special. Look forward to the Flame Fatales 2022 all-women speedrunning event starting August 21, and expect more information on AGDQ 2023 and other speedrunning events later this year.