The latest edition of the Awesome Games Done Quick 2026 was held from January 4 to 11, bringing yet another week of fun gaming sessions, all for a noble cause. The official channel of this popular speedrunning gaming marathon, usually the first major livestreaming event to kick off the new year, ended among the most-watched channels over the past week.
Held at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown in Pittsburgh, this event concluded after eight days of activities with a total of over $2,443,414 raised for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. This non-profit is dedicated to empowering people to stay ahead of cancer through prevention and early detection.
As a result, the Games Done Quick series has now raised almost $60 million for charities across the globe since it started over 16 years ago, with over $28 million of those coming for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Since 2010, there have been over a dozen annual events that have contributed to this total.
The event was livestreamed on the official Twitch and YouTube channels of the event and was community-streamed by a few other content creators. Plus, with 6.17 million Hours Watched (HW), the official channel, GamesDoneQuick, finished among the five most-watched channels on the purple platform.
The channel peaked at 66,336 viewers, meaning it is among the 15 most popular channels on Twitch early in 2026, and ranks in the top four when counting only organization channels. The official channel on YouTube also accrued over a million watch hours, contributing to an overall number of almost 7.9 million HW.
As always, there were numerous curated events where speedrunners tackled all sorts of video games. Many even performed tricks to beat timed challenges and/or complete titles in the fastest time possible, bringing together the community even as they looked to raise as much money for charity as possible.
Some highlights from the Awesome Games Done Quick 2026 included a Resident Evil 2 Remake run played entirely on a Guitar Hero controller, a 70-person relay race of Super Mario 64 and a point-to-point race between two trucks in American Truck Simulator. Fans even witnessed a packed room of French-style cosplayers during the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 speedrun.
Viewers were also treated to special chats with speedrunners and content creators, who helped break up all the high-speed action for them. This meant that there was plenty to learn for those tuning in, with tips and tricks witnessed in famous titles like Super Mario Sunshine, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Overall, it was another successful speedrunning venture for the Games Done Quick team as they raised over $2 million for a worthwhile cause. Moreover, the organizers provided fans with updates on future events, including the Back to Black 2026, Frost Fatales 2026 and the Summer Games Done Quick 2026.
