Summary
- Awesome Games Done Quick 2025 raised over $2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, surpassing the 2024 total by $100,000.
- The organization's mission is focused on early cancer detection and prevention, along with funding research and outreach programs.
- The 18-minute Crazy Taxi run stole the show, raising over $24,000 in donations.
From January 5 to January 13, Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) 2025 successfully raised over $2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, surpassing the previous year's total by more than $100,000. This annual winter event, hosted by Games Done Quick (GDQ), featured an array of speedruns spanning various genres, including standout performances in Crazy Taxi, Super Metroid, and other beloved titles.
Held annually in January, AGDQ is one of GDQ's two major events, with Summer Games Done Quick taking place in July. GDQ also organizes smaller events like Frame Fatales and GDQ Express to keep the momentum going between the main marathons. Notably, in October 2024, GDQ responded to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in the Southeastern US by hosting an impromptu Disaster Relief Done Quick event. This event, lasting just over two days, raised over $45,000 for Direct Relief, a charity dedicated to providing emergency supplies, transportation, and medical response in disaster-stricken areas.
As the new year kicked off, AGDQ 2025 demonstrated its significant impact on cancer research by raising over $2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. This amount exceeded the AGDQ 2024 total by more than $100,000. The Prevent Cancer Foundation focuses on early cancer detection and prevention, as well as funding research and outreach initiatives. GDQ and the Prevent Cancer Foundation have a longstanding partnership, with GDQ events contributing over $26 million to the cause across multiple runs. AGDQ 2025, held in Pittsburgh, was inaugurated by speedrunner Ray0ken's swift completion of the Switch version of Pikmin within an hour.
Awesome Games Done Quick 2025 Raises Over $2.5 Million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation
One of the standout moments of AGDQ 2025 was the speedrun of Crazy Taxi, a popular Dreamcast game known for its fast-paced gameplay. However, streaming Crazy Taxi is challenging due to copyrighted music, which can lead to muted streams or Twitch takedowns. At AGDQ, speedrunner Chuckles825 overcame this issue by performing the run accompanied by a live band that played the game's iconic tunes. This innovative 18-minute run of Crazy Taxi alone raised over $24,000 in donations.
The final event of AGDQ 2025 was a thrilling, randomized, four-player race of the SNES classic Super Metroid. The competition was intense, with runners Eddie and Andy finishing within a mere second of each other. GDQ will continue its charitable efforts with Summer Games Done Quick 2025, scheduled for July 6 in Minneapolis, where they will support Doctors Without Borders.
