Get Ready for AGDQ 2026: A Speedrunner’s Paradise Awaits!

Let’s face it: it’s a brand new year, and as gaming enthusiasts, we’re all a bit shocked that the time has rolled around again. Yes, you guessed it—the legendary Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) kicks off this weekend! The 2026 lineup is packed with some major hits, including last year’s top Game of the Year contenders and a fiercely exciting Super Mario 64 relay.

AGDQ 2026 officially gets underway on Sunday, January 4, at 8:30 AM PT / 11:30 AM ET / 4:30 PM GMT with a brief 30-minute kickoff show. After that, the excitement continues with a Super Mario Sunshine any% speedrun featuring the talented player inkstar, who’s set to finish the classic GameCube gem in about 1 hour and 16 minutes. As usual, the event will stretch across a week, wrapping up on Saturday, January 10, with runner adef attempting a Pokemon Emerald run, humorously dubbed “pick-my-main,” where audience votes will determine his Pokémon for the entire playthrough.

Those are just the highlights to get the ball rolling, but trust me, there’s a whole slew of reasons to tune in throughout the week, as detailed in the official schedule. For instance, how about a thrilling two-hour any% glitchless race through Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? It’s our pick for the best game of 2025, so it could definitely pique your interest! Other significant titles on the agenda include an “all weapons” run of Hades 2 expected to take approximately two hours, plus a one-hour any% speedrun of Donkey Kong Bananza, which will roll out if certain donation goals are met.

While the headline runs are certainly eye-catching, the joy of GDQ lies in those wonderfully quirky speedruns that only happen when the community unites for something really out there. Last year’s highlight was undoubtedly the Crazy Taxi speedrun, complete with a live band performing the soundtrack. This time around, I’ve got my sights set on the radical 70-star, 70-person relay of Super Mario 64. Picture a horde of runners coming together to blast through the game in under 1 hour and 40 minutes. Sure, similar runs have popped up at other events, but this one promises that delightful chaos that makes GDQ so special.

You can catch all the action live on Twitch, and don’t worry—once the dust settles, on-demand versions of each run will be accessible on the GDQ YouTube channel. Plus, AGDQ remains committed to raising funds for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, with more than $2.5 million raised in each of the last three years.

In the spirit of doing the impossible, let’s not forget the Legend of Zelda speedrunner who recently took the challenge to an extreme, completing every 3D Zelda game back-to-back in under 90 hours without sleep, pushed on by the enthusiasm sparked by the release of Tears of the Kingdom.