Gamers and gaming companies have a wonderful history of helping out others. A lot of people hear only the negatives, trolling and abuse that gets thrown around online in general, especially in game with all the anger and frustration. But when it comes down to it, as a whole, gamers are always quick to get behind a good cause and people that need more assistance. This has just been proven again, thanks to Games Done Quick.

Twitch streamers do 24 hour charity streams to raise money, this is not unheard of. Some companies offer items for sale where proceeds go to charity – Blizzard is known for doing this a lot. DFTG even partakes in the yearly Extra Life gaming stream for Children’s hospitals. Activision has gotten in on the action, too, releasing DLC where proceeds go to helping support veterans.

Games Done Quick is an event that started back in 2011. The idea is simple: bring together some of the most loved and most enjoyed speedrunners and get them to play games, quickly. They then raise money, whether it’s because people just donate for no other reason than wanting to help, or donate to have a say in how the games will be played out, or buy merchandise where the proceeds get donated to the charity of choice.

This year’s first event took place from January 8 until January 15. This was the biggest event so far, with all donations going to cancer research – bringing many people closer together. But let’s look at what they actually achieved this year. In total, there were 181 games played – all run in under 3 hours. There were 155 prizes given out. A magnificent grand total of $2,217,398.30 was raised, thanks to a huge 43,402 donations. And let’s not forget that over $1Million of that was raised in a single day. Well there you have it – more proof that people in general can be pretty great, especially gamers when they get together to achieve aspiring goals. And if you’re interested in watching any of the runs, you can see most of them on Youtube.

The next Games Done Quick event takes place in July, don’t forget to check it out and support them! And don’t forget to comment below and let us know your thoughts on this annual event. Was there any run you enjoyed watching? Is there a favourite speedrunner of yours that made an appearance? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below!