Summer Games Done Quick, the annual good weather showcase of serious speedrunners, will be held entirely online this year. Usually the Games Done Quick events are performed before a live audience, but organizers said that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's just not possible in 2020.
"We would like to thank the community for its patience while we were figuring out the best way to proceed with Summer Games Done Quick 2020," GDQ director of marketing and business development Kasumi Yogi said. "We're excited to continue showcasing some of the most talented speedrunners in the world while observing best practices to keep everyone safe in the midst of a global pandemic."
For viewers who watch GDQ from home—most of them, in other words—this won't really change anything. Runners who want to take part will have to make a few adjustments, however. Speedrunners with existing submissions must fill out a new form for the online event that will go out tomorrow, and a new round of submissions will be open from June 6-17. The situation for volunteers is also changing, but applications will not be reopened—instead, remote volunteers will be selected from the existing pool.
Summer Games Done Quick 2020 Online, as it's officially known, will run from August 16-23, in support of Doctors Without Borders—last year's event raised more than $3 million for the organization. Details are up at gamesdonequick.com.
