Games Done Quick: Speedrunning event comes to Gamescom 2026
At "Games Done Quick," speedrunners use every trick to get through games as quickly as possible. This year, you can watch live at Gamescom.
(Image: Gamescom)
The most famous speedrunning event is coming to Europe for the first time: Games Done Quick will be a three-day event at Gamescom 2026, which players can attend live on the Koelnmesse exhibition grounds. The speedruns are scheduled to take place from August 28 to 30, 2026, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Games Done Quick, or GDQ for short, is a charity event that has so far been held exclusively in the USA. The focus of the event is speedrunning, the fastest possible completion of video games, which often takes place under special rules. Players participating in it know every detail of a game, use exploits and glitches, and sometimes have to concentrate for hours on precise inputs. The Games Done Quick events also focus on community exchange.
Donations for a good cause
At major events, tens of thousands of viewers watch online on Twitch or YouTube. They are encouraged to donate to good causes. According to the Donation Tracker from Games Done Quick, over 60 million US dollars have been donated in total. During Gamescom, donations will be collected for the “Gaming for Democracy” initiative, which promotes social engagement and democratic values through gaming culture.
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For Gamescom, the acquisition of Games Done Quick is a real coup: Speedrunning fans are a growing niche in the gaming industry that the games fair has not explicitly catered to until now. The event also fits into the concept of Gamescom, which increasingly focuses on community events. “Speedrunning excites millions of people worldwide,” says Tim Endres, Director of gamescom. “This event underscores the importance of Gamescom in its leading role for the games industry and community, but also as a platform for social engagement.”
(dahe)
