Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
The team at Games Done Quick wasn't counting on going live this weekend. They certainly weren't expecting to go live from their own homes. But that was the case this weekend with Corona Relief Done Quick, a full weekend of dedicated speedrunning for charity. That charity was Direct Relief, which has been working nonstop to help those affected by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. And as has always been the case with GDQ's audience, viewers rallied together for a good cause, raising over $400,000 for Direct Relief.
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix wrapped up a full weekend of speedruns, with runner Ninten866 finishing in 2:52:03, give or take a few seconds due to technical difficulties. This was followed by a special Level 1 Critical Mode Sephiroth exhibition, the result of viewers meeting a donation. The final total as GDQ went off the air was at $400,245. The final donation total includes all Twitch Bits, GDQ Twitch channel subcriptions, and purchases from GDQ partners, like The Yetee and Fangamer.
While CRDQ's money raised doesn't quite match what GDQ is usually able to do during one of its big two weeks, this weekend's total does crush its previous three-day weekend efforts. CRDQ's $400K+ total is more than both Games Done Quick Express weekends combined, with GDQx raising $139K and $152K in its two years of existence. While CRDQ came together on short notice, the team put a lot of work into making this weekend happen, featuring a number of recent games, like DOOM Eternal, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Pokemon Shield.
Games Done Quick had hoped to run Summer Games Done Quick during its normal June slot. However, the coronavirus crisis has made that impossible, leading to this weekend's abbreviated Corona Relief Done Quick weekend. GDQ hopes to return with this year's SGDQ from August 16-23 from Bloomington, MN. Whether that happens remains to be seen, so stay tuned.