Now that the summer is here, for gamers, it means a few things. A few big games are set to release, there’s lots of hype around new announcements, but more importantly, we’ve got plenty of time to hang out inside and play more video games. That said, the earlier weeks of summer usually mark one of the best events in gaming: Summer Games Done Quick.
This annual live stream is a seven-day-long marathon where many of the best speedrunners all show up under one roof to showcase their blisteringly fast ability to beat games in record times. Best of all, it’s all done in the name of charity, with proceeds being donated to Doctors Without Borders. At Summer Games Done Quick 2026, the staff and runners were able to raise over 2.4 million dollars, combining awesome games with a great cause. With hundreds of speedruns to choose from, it can be hard to figure out which one to watch, so we’ve whipped up this article covering some of the very best speedruns from SGDQ 2026, so whether you’re a retro gamer or someone who only plays the latest and greatest, we’ve made sure you’ve got something cool to watch.
The Best Speedruns of SGDQ 2026
Speedruns of retro games are the real bread and butter of any Games Done Quick marathon, and SGDQ 2026 definitely did not disappoint in that regard. The whole event was kicked off by an awesome 102% speedrun of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest. If you’re not a Nintendo fanboy, you might find more enjoyment by checking out the mind-blowing, glitch-heavy run of the Sega Genesis classic, Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Of course, those are far from the only awesome retro games on display, as SGDQ 2026 was simply overflowing with great retro speedruns. You can watch some fantastic arcade-style beat ’em up action with TMNT IV: Turtles in Time, witness the tough-as-nails Ghosts ‘n Goblins run, hunt vampires in the NES Castlevania, or get whisked away to Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Of course, retro titles aren’t the only games gracing the big stage, as SGDQ 2026 also had quite the fair share of brand new games on display, debuting their big speedruns for the first time. Fans of the latest Capcom sci-fi shooter will love the Pragmata run, while bullet-hell fiends should absolutely check out Saros. If zombies and horror is your cup of tea, the top-tier Resident Evil: Requiem also got some time in the spotlight, as well as a four-player cooperative race to kill every boss in Elden Ring. Finally, the entire marathon was wrapped up with a speedrun of Expedition 33, due in no small part to it winning nearly every “game of the year” award known to man.
More Speedy Gaming
Despite the name, Summer Games Done Quick is not exclusively a marathon about speedruns, but instead, the limelight is occasionally shined on other impressive gaming-related showcases. Instead of traditional speedruns, there were plenty of speedrun races, including Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon, Hey You, Pikachu!, Snowboard Kids, Pokemon FireRed, Super Mario Maker 2, and more. For something completely different, you can check out the first-ever pinball machine speedrun to be featured on the main stage, Total Nuclear Annihilation, which was absolutely awesome to see. Similarly, a Tetris tournament was held at the GDQ venue, with the finals streamed live for everyone to check out.
Regardless of your taste in speedruns, SGDQ 2026 had a great variety, ensuring that at least one of their countless offerings will pique your interest. Honestly, I recommend picking any of these speedruns and checking them out, and if you find yourself interested, you can catch a replay of the entire marathon via the GamesDoneQuick YouTube Channel.
