A new year has arrived, which means we're in the middle of that joyous moment where the entire gaming community says in unison, “Oh shit, AGDQ starts this weekend!” Yes, the speedrunning charity event has once again come upon us all, and there's a ton of fun stuff on the calendar, which, for sufferers like me, includes some of the worst games ever made.
AGDQ 2025 kicks off on Sunday, January 5 at 8:30am PT / 11:30am ET / 4:30pm GMT with a short kick-off show, followed by a full run of Pikmin on Switch to get things started right. As always, the event runs for a full week and concludes on the night of Saturday, January 11 with a random map run through GDQ mainstay Super Metroid.
You can explore the entire schedule yourself, but some of the most eye-catching speedruns include blasting any% through Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in about six hours. This might broaden the definition of speedrun, but it's still a very quick way to beat a super meaty JRPG. We'll also see a live performance of Elden Ring played with a saxophone as a controller and a live band backing a Crazy Taxi race so the game's licensed soundtrack doesn't mute the broadcast.
For me, though, the highlight is probably the traditional horrible block, which is home to some of the worst games ever made, including the infamous underbellys that are Superman 64 and Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing, plus a bunch of games I've never even heard of. (Does Squirrel with a Gun really count as a horrible block when it's that way on purpose?)
As always, AGDQ benefits the Prevent Cancer Foundation and the SGDQ mid-year follow-up benefits Doctors Without Borders. You can follow the event live on Twitch or watch the VODs as they stream live on YouTube.
Charity speedrun icon Games Done Quick has a new owner, but he says the GDQ vibes aren't changing: “It's basically like a family reunion.”