Speedrunning charity event Awesome Games Done Quick is back in-person this year. AGDQ 2024 has locked its dates and locale for January 14 through 21 at the Wyndham Hot??el and Resorts in Pittsburgh, PA.

Though Games Done Quick has hosted a few in-person events since it was pushed online by COVID-19, last year's Awesome Games Done Quick called off its in-person Florida event. At the time, organizers cited both "continued disregard" for COVID-19 ??dangers and increa?sed aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals as reasons for taking the event online instead.

Now, AGDQ 2024 is gearing up to run this January in downtown Pittsburgh instead. The charity event is still largely the one you probably know of by now, too. For one week, 24 hours a day, speedrunners will demonstrate all the unique and intriguing ways they navigate games as fast as possible. All of it takes place live, both in-person and online through GDQ's Twitch channel.

Speedrun for charity

AGD?Q 2024 is a??lso keeping with its traditional charity partner, the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The winter fundraiser supports PCF, while the Summer Games Done Quick event backs Doctors Without Borders.

Donations open during the week of, and more info, including runners and scheduling, will likely arrive between now and J?anuary.

It's good to ??see AGDQ returning to in-person events after last year's online move, though. The online era of GDQ was, by all means, one of the more successful pandemic-era shifts to remote broadcasting. It also opened up avenues for interesti??ng runs that weren't previously feasible, either, due to location or logistics. Some of that has even bled over into the events as they've gone back in-person.

But hearing the crowd get involved and the energy of those gatherings is a big piece of the GDQ appeal. Especially on the final day, it's always fun to hear the laughs, cheers, and whatever shout-outs manage to pop up over th??e week. I'll be looking forward to all of that this coming January.

The post AGDQ 2024 locks in an in-person event for January appeared first on Destructoid.

Those into speedrunning will know Games Done Quick very well. Events like SGDQ 2023 help to raise staggering amounts for good causes, and now it's the turn of Flame Fatales, which is kicking off this w??eekend.

The all-woman speedrunning event runs from August 13 (that's this Sunday) right up until August 20. You can check the Games Done Quick website for more details about it. Flame Fatales will run in aid of Malala Fund, a cha??rity co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai that fights for "every girl’s right to 12 years of free,?? safe, quality education."

[caption id="attachment_396066" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image via Games Done Quick.[/caption]

You can also check out the schedule that's now live, showing who's playing what and when. Essentially, it's go??ing to be a week that's jam-packed with some of the best women speedrunners around, helping to raise money for charity.

Millions raised

Over the years, the Games Done Quick brand has helped raise a ton of money that has gone to a number of worthy causes. Earlier this year, AGDQ raised $2.6 million?? for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. That's not chump change!

Flames?? Fatales is just one more opportunity for streamers and runners to come together to provide video game entertainment, while also doing good in the world. The act of speedrunning (where you aim to finish a game as quickl??y as possible in any non-cheat fashion) has become immensely popular. People dedicate hundreds (if not thousands) of hours to perfecting their techniques in order to shave off milliseconds.

It's something that just about anyone can get into, but it takes an enormous amount of effort and time to truly be counted among the best. Let's ??hope G??ames Done Quick's Flame Fatale event is just as successful as the others that have come before it.

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2 Quick 2 Charitable

That’s a wrap on the 2023 edition of Summer Game Done Quick. It’s been a full week of playing video games way faster than the Gods of Gameplay intended. Speedrunners gathered in Minneapolis, MN, and awed us with their speedy thumbs for a solid week. Now that the dust has settled, the Summer Games Done Quick organizers have revealed that this year netted a total of $2,239,204 for Doctors Without?? Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières).

Doctor?s Without Borders is a charity that puts trained professionals where they’re needed. They provide medical care, support, and relief to wartorn areas and locations affe?cted by disease. They also collect statistics in these areas, on top of other humanitarian work.

//twitter.com/??GamesDoneQuick/status/1665316048831143936

In case you missed it

If you missed the Summer Games Don??e Quick festivities??, here are some highlights:

EoDTexSR tackled Pocky & Rocky: Reshrined. This is a bit of an odd choice since a?? lot of the gam??e is auto-scrolling sections. However, it’s pretty interesting to see them place optimize their power-ups and place their character exactly where they need to be to keep the screen moving.

//youtu.be/UJMxnFkUj5s

Want some kusoge? I should probably add this to my list of games to cover in my weekly(ish) column. It’s Cat in the Hat, released on PlayStation in 2004!? Speedr??unner Mildew completes the dubious game in a short 10:49. Damn! That ?is efficient.

//youtu.be/C3ERWywx8hI

How about the hidden NES gem (that I’m not a huge fan of) Shatterhand? I get bored after maybe two levels, but Amad finishes it in 21:55. Wow! I think even my short atte??ntion span could handle that.

//youtu.be/m_NYH95TlDQ

There were also some awesome attempts at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild while blindfolded and Tony Hawk’s Underground at Summer Games Done Quick. A really interesting event was around Super Mario Maker 2 being played competitively in a team-based r?elay style. Team members played levels they had never seen before and competed to see who could do them quicker.

To put this into context, Summer Games Done Quick 2022 raised over $3 million. While this year's number is lower, it’s still a massively impressive number and something to be proud of. Breaking games to see the credits faster is a terrific way to get gamers to open their?? wallets for charity, as Games Done Quick proves year after year. Good job to everyone involved, the gamers, the hosts, and, of course, the organizers.

The post Summer Games Done Quick 2023 raises over $2 ??million for MSF appeared first on Destructoid.

Running fast for a good cause

The summer is here, and what better way to celebrate than with SGDQ? Summer Games Done Quick 2023 kicks off this coming Sunday, with a bevy of speedrunning?? ?exhibitions planned from May 28 through June 4.

Starting at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, this year's SGDQ 2023 will kick off and run for 24 hours a day, all the way through to June 4. The speedrunning event will air live on GDQ's Twitch channel.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept, Games Done Quick i?s an organization that hosts speedrunning exhibitions benefitting different charities. Players will showcase runthroughs of games played at their absolute fastest, using glitches, techniques, and skill to get to their goal as fast as possible. And many categories impose interesting, non-traditional goals too. While "Any%" can just mean seeing the credits roll, further categories offer different and unique challenges for the runner.

GDQ week is usually a week of good times and fun runs, and this event will be back in person. (SGDQ's counterpart, Awesome Games Done Quick 2023, called off its in-person event and went online due to Florida's stances on COVID-19 policies and "increased aggressio?n" towards LGBTQ+ individual?s.)

There's frankly no shortage of excellent runs this year, too. I was looking over the schedule this morning and was a bit surprised at how stacked?? this event felt. If you're looking for pointers, I've pulled some highlights from the schedule below, including the run category and runner(s).

Summer Games Done Quick 2023 runs to watch for

Sunday, May 28

• Sonic Frontier Any% - AlphaDolphin
• Mega Man Maker Any% - megamarino
• Ring Fit Adventure Beat World 1 Intensity 30 Restricted - Verxl

Monday, May 29

• Banjo-Kazooie 100% no FFM - duck
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Reunion Any% Race - desa3579, BigSid
• Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Any% Ultimate - The Blacktastic
• StepManiaX Game Showcase - ZephyrGlaze, WDRM, chezmix

Tuesday, May 30

• Chained Echoes Any% No CW  Fresh File - moonblazewolf
• Bastion Live Tutorial Showcase - Cosmic_Bones, SeaAverage

Wednesday, May 31

• Signalis Any% Casual Difficulty / Memory Ending - DruciferPlays
• Lil Gator Game Any% - ItzBytez
• Sonic Adventure DX All Stories Relay - SpacebarS, shovelclaws, Themimik, Yoshipuff, AlphaDolphin, Allegro
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Blitz Randomizer - spikevegeta

Thursday, June 1

• True Crime: New York City Any% - pmcTRILOGY
• Give Me Toilet Paper! Hand% - Asuka424
• Pizza Tower Any% - SoaringSloth
• Titanfall 2 Any% - Blaidan

Friday, June 2

• Shantae and the Pirate's Curse All Dark Magic, Pirate Mode, No OOB - TheSoundDefense
• Dark Forces Easy (TFE) - CovertMuffin
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Any% Co-op - AmberCyprian, TGH
• Clone Hero Showcase - Frif
• Celeste TAS True Ending - Lmjacks, tmscalvins, Vamp

Saturday, June 3

• Kingdom Hearts Final Mix Any% Proud Race - MistMaster1, Violin
• Superhot VR Any% - davidtki
• Elden Ring Any% Glitchless - Mitchriz
• Super Mario Maker 2 Relay Race - TheRileyC, Aurateur, PangaeaPanga, TanukiDan, Shoujo, Caspur189, LilKirbs, Thabeast721
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Any% Blindfolded - Bubzia

Sunday, June 4

• Baron of Shell 100% - grandpoobear
• Super Metroid Co-op Any% - ShinyZeni, zoast

Let us know what you're looking forward to below!

The post Summer Games Done? Quick 2023 kicks off this wee?kend appeared first on Destructoid.

Feeling hot, hot, hot...

Look, I don't know ??where the year goes either, but we are, once again, preparing for one of the most exciting and most fun weeks of the entire gaming year �Yes, Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) will be upon us once again in a little over a month's time, as some of the fastest fingers in the world take on a cavalcade of new and old titles, and all in aid of a very worthy cause.

SGDQ 2023, which will kick off on Sunday, May 28, before winding up one week later on Sunday, June 4, will take place as a hybrid online/in-person event, and will see expert players from all over the globe will come together for seven days of electric speedruns, player vs player races, and unique and sometimes mind-blowing challenges. The GDQ team will, ??of course, be on hand for player interviews, viewer contests, and to read out messages of support from the home audience.

//twitter.com/GamesDoneQuick/status/1??645985238898860033?s=20

Looking at this year's schedule, we can see that almost all generations of gaming will be repped at this year's events, with a bevy of runs on modern titles such as Elden Ring, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, Lil Gator Game, and Fire Emblem Engage, as well as showings from speedrun stalwarts in the Metroid, Castlevania, Mega Man, and Legend of Zelda franchises. Of course, the strange and obscure will also be on deck, with runs planned for titles such as Final Fight 3, the X-Men arcade, Shatterhand, and the abominable SNES release, Wayne's World.

As always, viewers will be able to donate to the event throughout the week, with all proceeds going to non-profit organization Medecins Sans Frontieres, an international network of professional healthcare workers who provide medical aid, care, and relief to those who need it, wherever it’s needed, regardless of race, color, creed, or political persuasion. Last year's SGDQ event raised an amazing $3.01 million USD, ??and here's ho?ping that this year's event will be equally as successful.

SGDQ 2023 will take place between May 28 and June 4, 2023. The in-person event will take place at The Hilton Minneapolis hotel, and all streams will be available for viewing live on the GDQ Twitch channel.

The post SGDQ 2023 kicks off next mo?nth??, full schedule now live appeared first on Destructoid.

GDQ's sisterly spin-off returns!

[Update: As the curtain fell on another awesome week of speedrunning excitement, Frost Fatales 2023 raised an amazing $151,614 ??USD for The Malala Fund. Congratulations to all runners ??and organizers for another highly engaging and entertaining week of gaming!

If you missed out on any of the action, never fear, as you can now check out all of the Frost Fatales 2023 runs, on-demand, via the GDQ YouTube channel. The next event, Flame Fatale?s, will take place the week of August 13-20, ??2023.]

//twit?ter.?com/GamesDoneQuick/status/1632263477711589377?s=20

Original Article:

Is it that time of year already? Apparently so, as the fast femmes of video gaming are ready to see off the winter season with another week of exciting speedruns �So get set for Frost Fatales 2023, which will kick off this Sunday, February 26, live on Twitch!

For one week, the all-women GDQ spin-off community will offer up over 75 speedruns on a wide variety of titles, old and new. Players from across the globe will gather online to smash through awesome titles including modern classics, such as Gris, Death's Door, and Tunic; veteran speedrun franchises such as Final Fantasy, Super Mario Bros., and Silent Hill; and a fistful of retro games including Phantasy Star II, Super Metroid, and Tetris: The Grand Master.

Making their Frost Fatales debut this year will be Nintendo's Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Annapurna's Stray, House House's Untitled Goose Game, and *checks notes* Learn with Pokemon: Typing Adventure!? You can check out the full schedule for the event right here, complete with times localized to your zone. All runs will be held in an online capacity, so you only need tune in to the official GDQ Twitch each day to get on top of the action.

//twitter.com/Fr?am?eFatales/status/1605633618574974976?s=20

As always, viewers will be able to send in words support and congratulation to the runners, as well as donations directed to Frost Fatales' chosen charity, The Malala Fund. Cco-founded by the youngest Nobel prize winner in history, Malala Yousafzai, The Malala Fund is a non-profit organization that supports and facilitates important access to education for women and girls all over the world, regardless of their status, background, or economical means. Last year's event saw an amazing $132,000 USD raised for the cause, so here's hoping that the team is able to smash that r??ecord this week.

Good luck to the prod??uction team, hosts, and all participating Frost Fatales speedrunners!

Frost Fatales 2023 takes place from February 26 to March 4. For more information on the GDQ community, check out the official website.

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A new development in the controversy surrounding Mundfish

Mick Gordon, the composer for Mundfish’s upcoming FPS, Atomic Heart, has announced that he will be donating the fees her rec??eived for scoring the game to the Austrailian Red Cross' Ukraine Crisis Appeal for use in their humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

[embed]//twitter.com/Mick_Gordo??n/status/1625495826247319556?s=20[/embed]

The announcement is significant as it comes following the concern that developer Mundfish is allegedly supported by investors with hands in Russia’s war in Ukraine; or that funds from Atomic Heart’s sales may directly help the Russian government. While Mundfish is based in Cyprus, there have been allegations that it's mainly headquartered in Moscow.

Moreover, the studio allegedly has investors that have relations with Russian state-owned energy corporation Gazprom. While nothing has been directly proven, a lot of allegations have been brought up, and Mundfish hasn’t exactly stepped in to set the record straight itself, stating that it simply does �a href="//twitter.com/mundfish/status/1614903979267309568?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not comment on politics.�/p>

While Mick Gordon has not specifically commented on these accusations, this move is at least one that may help offset some of the concerns. However, it’s not the same as if Mundfish itself donated proceeds to aid Ukraine. I would encourage you to do your own research into Mundfish’s connection with the war in Ukraine, reach your own conclusions, and decide for yourself if purchasing Atomic Heart is reasonably moral for you.

Mick Gordon has scored titles such as Wolfenstein: The New Order, Killer Instinct, and Doom Eternal. Atomic Heart is availabl?e Februa??????????????????????????ry 21 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.

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AGDQ 2023 is a success!

As someone who is both a fan of speedrunning and raising money for a good cause, Games Done Quick runs some of my favorite gaming events of the year. The organization's first event of the year, Awesome Games Done Quick, came to a close this weekend, but not after securing some big wins first. During the event's run on Twitch from January 8-15, they raised over $2.6 mi??llion for Prevent Cancer Foundation, and some of the participants broke some new speedrunning ?world records:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge: Co-op Any% Arcade Old Patch by Benja and Paul-Knives (56:18)
• Super Mario Galaxy 2: Any% with Bank Run by Jhay (2:54:51.33)
• PowerWash Simulator: 6 Players, All Vehicles, No Soap by Amyrlinn, Bullets, Biglaw, Enigma Requiem, AngelicKnight, and Acadiel (33:31.7)
• Steven Seagal Is: The Final Option (Prototype): any% 9 exits by Crak Atak (21:44.6)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTpXQ9hSq_w

This year's Awesome Games Done Quick supported the Prevent Cancer Foundation, which is "the only U.S.-based nonprofit organization solely dedicated to cancer prevention and early detection." GDQ has raised more than $43 million in its lifetime for various ch?arities, including Doctors Without Borders, Direct Relief, AbleGamers, Malala Fund, and Organization for Autism Research. It's always great to see them in the news, because Games Done Quick has to be one of the most wholesome and uplifting organizations in gaming.

If you missed the live event this time around, don't worry! There's an archive of the entire AGDQ 2023 �as well as other past events �on the Games Done Quick YouTube channel.

Games Done Quick also announced the dates for some more of their upcoming events this year, including the all-female winter speedrunning event Frost Fatales (February 26-March 4, 2023) and Summer Games Done Quick (May 28-June 4, 2023).

The post Awesome Games Done Quick ?2023 raise?d $2.6 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation appeared first on Destructoid.

The biannual speedrunning event starts on Sunday

A new year is here, and so too is a new Games? Done Quick event. Awesome Games Done Quick 2023, or AGDQ 2023, starts?? on January 8 and hosts 24-7 speedrunning showcases all the way through January 14.

The biannual charity speedrunning event raises funds for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, and will host a variety of streamers from around the globe. This will also be the final GDQ for event founder Mike Uyama, who is stepping down to pursue new ventures. Director of Operations Matt Merkle will take over the role of owner an?d managing director, and the organization is also s??eeking a new assistant manager.

Additionally, this year's event is being held online. GDQ confirmed last September that it would not go through with its planned Florida locale, in response to both the state's COVID-19 policies and concerns over HB 1557, colloquially known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

"Given the state’s continued disregard for COVID-19’s dangers (including anti-mandate policies) and an increased aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals, including the law colloquially known as 'Don't Say Gay,' we do not believe it is a safe place for our community," said the organization in a statement.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG4n5UIvtdk

This year still looks set to hold some fantastic showcases, however. We've gone through the list of scheduled runs for AGDQ 2023 and picked out a few from each that piqued our interest. Whether it's an interesting category or just a cool game to see speedrun, we'll post them below. Runs will be listed chronologically, and you can check here for time estimates as they're updated throughout the event.

Sunday, January 8

• Borderlands: Game of the Year Enhanced (Any%)
• Cuphead (Bonus Game incentive - 300%)
• Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (Perfect Stealth / No Kills NG+)
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky (Randomizer 10 Dungeon Blitz)

Monday, January 9

• Skate (X Games%)
• TMNT: Shredder's Revenge (Co-op 2v2 Any% Arcade Chill Race)
• Hitman: Blood Money (Any%)

Tuesday, January 10

• Illbleed (Any%)
• Outer Wilds (Stranger 100%)
• Dead Space 3 (Any% Co-op)

Wednesday, January 11

• Final Fantasy VII (Any% No Slots)
• Pokemon Red or Yellow (Any% Glitchless)
• Neon White (White's Heaven Rush)

Thursday, January 12

• The World Ends With You: Final Remix (Any% Normal)
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (150cc DLC 16 Tracks No Items)
• The Simpsons: Hit & Run (All Story Missions)
• Celeste (Custom maps, Into the Jungle Any%)

Friday, January 13

• Metroid Prime 1 + 2 (Multiworld Randomizer Co-op)
• TrackMania Turbo (White Tracks Double Driver)
• Final Fantasy XIV (Palace of the Dead Solo MCH F171-180, No Mouse)
• Super Mario All-Stars Shuffler (All Four Games Any% No Wrong Warp)

Saturday, January 14

• Metroid Dread (All Bosses Glitchless Race)
• Half-Life: Alyx (Inbounds)
• Pokemon Legends: Arceus (All Lords)
• Super Mario Bros. 3 (Any% Warpless)

??Looking forward to any AGDQ 2023 runs yourself? Let us know in the comments!

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(Speed) Running Up That Hill

The Games Done Quick (GDQ) team has released a jam-packed schedule for its next speedrunning event, AGDQ 2023 �Once again, the fastest fingers in gaming will be gathering online to lay waste to a wide variety of n?ew, classic, and debuting games, from a variety of genres, and all for a worthwhile cause.

While GDQ had planned to host the AGDQ 2023 extravaganza in a physical capacity, the team decided that Florida does not currently provide a safe enough environment, (from a social or COVID-19-related standpoint), for such a community gathering. As explained on the official GDQ Twitter, the cancellation of the Floridian venue has left the organizer out of pocket, and thus requires the event to now be held in an onl??ine capacity.

AGDQ 2023 will be held live, on Twitch, from Sunday, J??anuary 8 thro??ugh Sunday, January 15.

/?/twitter.com/GamesDoneQuick/status/1567558908948135937?s=20&t=xCJ0JLRkstUGqmmHkilEFA

Viewers jumping online over the course of the week can expect to see an array of speed runs, challenges, and time trials across hundreds of great (and not-so-great) titles. These modern and classic Nintendo releases such as Splatoon 3, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Metroid Prime 1 & 2, to recent PlayStation, Xbox, and PC hits including Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Neon White, Dark Souls II, Cult of the Lamb, and Capcom's Resident Evil 7.

Of course, there will be a metric ton of retro action also on offer, so be sure to tune in for runs on Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers, Vampire Night, Ax Battler, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, and Gunstar Heroes, as well as a bevy of releases from the Sonic the Hedgehog, Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania, and Mega Man franchises. Check out the full AGDQ 2023 schedule, adjusted for your time zone, right here!

The audience will be able to vote for bonus games, character names, and speedrun options, while entering competitions and giveaways. Once again, all proceeds and donations will go directly to AGDQ's chosen charity, the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Founded in 1985, this non-profit organization continues unceasingly in its efforts to research and fund life-saving developments in the curing and prevention of cancer in the worldwide populace. You can read more about the organization's tireless mission on the official website.

AGDQ 2023 takes place online January 8-15.

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Organizers cite issues with Florida's COVID policies and aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals

Awesome Game?s Done Quick will be back in 2023, to host another speedrunning charity event. But unlike the most recent SGDQ, it won't be an in-person event.

Games Done Quick has confirmed that its 2023 AGDQ event will be hosted online, on January 8 through 15. While organizers state they would like to return to in-person, they have determined that "to provide a safe and w??elcoming event to all" it was best to move away from its originally planned location in Florida.

In a thread detailing the decision, Games Done Quick cites the state's "continued disregard" for COVID-19 dangers, including anti-mandate policies. They also note increased aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals, including the "Don't Say Gay" law.

//twitt?er.com/GamesDoneQuic??k/status/1567558910529384449

After the success of AGDQ in 2020, Games Done Quick secured a contract with a Florida v???enue to return in 2021. The global pandemic postponed that decision until it was deemed safe to return to in-person events.

While the team says it has explored multiple options that would allow them to remain in-person by relocating to a new location, the cost required to ca??ncel its existing contract is too high to justify relocating while also paying the canc??ellation. Ultimately, with the contract unable to be delayed any longer, the team has decided to move the event online.

"While the move to online will allow us to save some on expenses, we still have considerable costs to recover," reads today's statement. "We are looking to recover it wherever possible, including?? community support via Twitch subs. We thank the community for their support!"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IUT4UOCZzg

Running for a good cause

The return of Summer Games Done Quick to in-person events was met with a lot of excitement earlier this year. B??ut even so, if policies are unable to be enforced and organizers don't feel it's safe, moving online seems like the better option.

If you want to support Games Done Quick, their Twitch channel is here. Both Game and Volunteer submissions open on September 11 on the GDQ site.

The post Awesom??e Games Done Quick 2023 set for January, going online-only appeared first on Destructoid.

Polish studio smashes campaign target

Mobile game developer Huuuge Games has proudly announced that it has smashed its "Wish 200 Week" fundraising event, wit??h a grand total of around $490,000 USD raised for the UK Make-A-Wish Foundation, the non-profit organization that fac?ilitates dream requests for critically ill children.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Wish 200 Week, which took place between July ??18-22, saw Huuuge Games partner with numerous publishers, developers, and streamers to engage in five days of fundraising efforts. British studio Hutch and Swiss browser game builder Miniclip were also involved in the event, the second of which to be held within the past two years.

"We are extremely proud that the united gaming community came together once again to help Make-A-Wish UK with their Wish 200 Week, with this donation a lot of ill children and their? families will see their gaming dreams come to life," said Huuuge Games co-CEO Rod Cousens in a press release. "Gaming is a big part of young people’s lives and we know how it can be a great escape from the troubles of real life. We are especially glad that 200 children in need will have their gaming wishes granted with our h??elp."

All of the money raised will go directly to Make-A-Wish UK, where it will be used to fund the wishes of 200 children. For more details on the work done by Make-A-Wish UK, visit the official website.

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The beloved game inspires a slew of charity fundraisers

As if Stray couldn't get any better, the game that has cat-lovers and gamers alike fawning over its adorable, fuzzy protagonist is also helping out cats in real life. Streamers and Annapurna Interactive, the game's publisher, have facilitated a whole host of events and services to benefit animal shelters and other cat-related charities, as initially reported by AP.

Annapurna reached out to the Nebraska Human?e Society ahead of the game's launch on July 19 to give them copies of the?? game to be raffled off as a fundraiser for the shelter. Within a week, they had raised over $7,000 for the cause, including a $1,035 donation from Annapurna themselves. A vast majority of those who donated to the shelter were also new to them, including some international fans of the game.

Annapurna also rented out a cat cafe and cat adoption agency in New York called the Meow Parlour to host an event where visitors could play the game (while being surrounded by cats, no less) and purchase exclusive Stray-themed merchandi?se. The publisher also donated $1,000 to the institution.

[caption id="attachment_338376" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{[Image Source: GamesRadar]}[/caption]Gamers themselves have also taken up the mantle of d??oing s??ome good for the stray cats of the world.

A platform called Tiltify, which allows streamers to donate their earnings to nonprofits, has shared that their platform has at least nine new campaigns that mention Stray, and another charity livestream organization JustGiving has identified two more. North Shore Animal League America, a no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization, said they received over $800 from a gaming campaign. A streamer named TreyDay1014 also teamed up with the Nebraska Humane Society, helping?? them raise over $1,500 by the end of a four-and-a-half-hour stream.

Stray is an undeniably sweet, uplifting game, so it's not a surprise in the least that the community behind it has rallied to make some awesome ?real-world ??change.

The post Stray is helping raise money for real-life strays appeared first on Destructoid.

Pre-recorded footage used in bonus speedrun

The Games Done Quick (GDQ) team has announced that it has rescinded a World Record run that took place during last week's Summer Games Done Quick 2022 event. The run, which featured hack 'n' slash actioner Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance, has been nullified after the SGDQ runner admitted to using footage spliced together f??rom previous offline attempts.

While most of the event's speedruns were showcased on-site, a small handful were held in an online capacity for logistical reasons. A Russian speedrunner tackled Revengeance' "Blade Wolf" DLC as part of a viewer donation bonus incentive, and proceeded to achieve a world-best clear time in the process. However, the player has since confessed to having faked the feat by simply playing an edit?ed, pre-recorded video on stre?am.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlkWSqA4VFU

"The Blade Wolf DLC run incentive people paid for is a pre-recorded, segmented run," confessed the runner to GDQ enforcement team after the event. "I haven't mentioned it anywhere, neither during the submission process or the email I sent to the c??ommittee. It was supposed to be a real-time run, but I've changed my mind at the last second after switching the saves."

"I've done an actual bad ??thing, and I shouldn't have done this on the event... I acted selfishly and I haven't put more time thinking about others. I am sorry for doing the thing I've done. Truly."

The GDQ team has since removed the run from its YouTube archive and banned the player from participating in future GDQ events. Despite the honest confession, GDQ seems to believe that it was understood by the player that the subterfuge would not b??e publically outed by the GDQ team. This, obviously, has not been the case.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_Ui0Sk1DAM

"This is absolutely unacceptable and attempts to undermine the integrity of the speedrunning community that we love and support," wrote the team in a statement to PCGamesN. "The exact result they desired was unclear from the document, but it is clear that they ?believed we would not be willing to speak out about their behavior. However, we believe it is in the community's best interests to know why this run was r??emoved by GDQ. We have removed [the player's runs] from our YouTube archive, and will not permit him to run in the future."

Summer Games Done Quick 2022, returning to the Double Tree Hilton in Bloomington MA for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the events offline, saw some of the fastest and finest players in the world gather together to smash through a huge catalog of new and classic video games. When the curtain fell on Saturday, the event had raised an incredible $3.01 million USD for charity Medecins Sans Frontieres. You can check out (almost) every run from the event on the official GDQ YouTube channel.

The next online GDQ event, Flame Fatales, will take place between August 21-27.

The post SGDQ 2022 Metal Gear Risi?ng: Reve??ngeance World Record run confirmed fake appeared first on Destructoid.

Great games for a good cause

Itch.io is known for its bundles of indie games that raise money for worthy causes, like the Black Lives Matter movement back in 2020 or for Ukraine earlier this year. Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, itch.io has turned its sights to creating a bundle of indie games to raise money for abortion funds. The bund??le has over 750 items from over 600 creators, valued at around $3000, but you can get it fo??r a minimum donation of $10 (although of course, anything more than that is awesome). As someone who adores indie games, that's the steal of the century if you ask me.

All proceeds of the bundle will go directly towards the National Network for Abortion Fund's Collective Power Fund which, according to the bundle's official page, "moves money directly to abort??ion funds across 20+ U.S. states, with a particular focus on the South and Midwest (where it is often most difficult to get access to abortions). NNAF’s partnerships with these abortion funds provide direct resources and funds to many of the people most impacted by Roe v. Wade, towards immediate action."

From the sounds of it, this is a great way to get sta??rted if you're looking for?? a way to support the cause.

//twitter.com/itchio/status/1543972913476280321

As of writing this article, the bundle has already raised over $150,000 of its $200,000 goal, and with over eight days left, I have a feeling it will surpass that number. The Ukraine bundle ended up with more than $6 million going to charity, while the Racial Equality bundle raised a whopping $8.1 million.

Here's hoping that ga??mers will show up for reproductive rights in the same way, but considering how much the community shows up in times of need, plus what great titles there are on offer, I don't think we have anything to worry about.

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Incredible result for speedrunning extravaganza

Last week, the Games Done Quick (GDQ) community reunited for a whole week of fascinating, entertaining, and death-glitchin' speedruns. The annual Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) saw some of the best players from around the? globe gather at the Double Tree Hilton in Bloomington MA for seven days of non-stop speedrunning challenges, all in the aid of a good? cause.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IUT4UOCZzg&t=150s

SGDQ 2022 was the first time the GDQ team had gathered in a physical capacity since the COVID-19 pandemic forced events to go online in 2020. Despite ensuring numerous safety precautions for the crew, runners, and audience, spirits were high all wee??k, as runner after runner smashed their way through a plethora of games, old and new.? In addition, home viewers were encouraged to enter contests and competitions, share their support for the runners and games online, and, of course, donate to the cause.

When the stream finally ended on Saturday night, SGDQ 2022 had raised a staggering $3.01 million USD, almost a third of which was raised during the event's final 48 hours. The money raised will go to the non-profit organization Medecins Sans Frontieres, an international network of professionals who provide medical aid, care,?? and relief to those who need it �wherever it's needed �regardless of race, color, creed, or political persuasion. MSF ??is, sadly, an organization that is perhaps needed now more than ever before, and the aid provided by its talented and tireless staff cannot be overstated.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGa26MYMp38

If you missed the week's events and wish to check out any of the runs from the entire week, then you can find them all queued up and ready to go on the SGDQ VOD Reddit. There is something here to entertain everybody, from speedrun veteran titles such as Super Meat Boy, Celeste, Donkey Kong Country, and Metal Gear Solid, to debutantes including Solar Ash, Elden Ring, Infernax, Tunic, and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl. Oh, and don't forget to also check out some of the quirkier games, such as PlayStation gem Incredible Crisis and CDi shitfest Thunder in Paradise... brother.

I have written about GDQ's various annual events for y??ears now, and it is endlessly satisfying to do so. I won't sugarcoat the fact that the global climate has been an unhappy one for some years, and it can often feel as though The Good Guys are not out there anymore. But they are out there �in abundance �and even in this supposedly "hyper-toxic" world of gaming. Congratulations to the Summer Games Done Quick organizers, hosts, showrunners �and, of course, the play?ers themselves �for their successful return to physical events. You should all be proud of the week's amazing achievement.

The next online GDQ event, Flame Fatales, will take place between August 21-27.

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There are some rad-looking speedruns in store this week

It's time once again to w???atch some sick speedrunning exhibitions. Summer Games Done Quick 2022 gets underway today, as speedrunners gather in Minnesota to go fast for a good cause.

For anyone unfamiliar, Games Done Quick is a twice-a-year event where speedrunners—players who compete to clear objectives in games as fast as possible—put on exhibitions for charity. SGDQ supports Doctors Without Borders, while Awesome Games D??one Quick raises funds ??for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

This year's SGDQ is a notable one because it's the first time, since AGDQ 2020, that a Games Done Quick event has been held in-person. The event has outlined its COVID policies online, but this will be the first tim??e we've had some genuin??e crowds since pre-pandemic.

Summer Games Done Quick streams live on Twitch from Sunday, June 26 through this coming Saturday and potentially into the wee hou?rs of July 3.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2ogX44s5Cs

You can find the full schedule of upcoming runs, shifted to your respective time zone, here. I also went through and took a look at the runs, pulling out ones I thought looked or sounded neat. If you're looking for particular days or windows to tune in, this might give you a decent idea of when. (All times b?elow are in U.S. Central Standard Time,? and subject to change and adjust as the schedule moves around.)

Sunday, June 26

• Shadow of the Colossus NTA Bossrush Random - 12:00 p.m.
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land Any% - 5:58 p.m.
• Bonus Game 1: Pokemon Snap 250k points - 8:13 p.m.

Monday, June 27

• The Pathless All Bosses - 8:44 a.m.
• Super Castlevania 4 Low% Race - 11:49 a.m.
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019) Any% Glitchless Race - 3:03 p.m.
• ICO Any% 60hz - 5:08 p.m.

Tuesday, June 28

• Omori Any% Glitched - 1:12 a.m.
• Mega Man: The Wily Wars Mega Man 2 vs. Mega Man 3 - 12:51 p.m.
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon Any% (PC) - 2:26 p.m.
• Bonus Game 3: Half-Life: Alyx Inbounds - 8:41 p.m.
• Super Mario Odyssey Darker Side - 9:56 p.m.

Wednesday, June 29

• Final Fantasy VI: Worlds Collide Randomizer Any% NMG - 2:33 a.m.
• Tunic Any% - 12:22 p.m.
• Advance Wars Any% (No Map Glitch) - 1:17 p.m.
• Pokemon Emerald Randomizer Evolution Chaos Co-Op - 2:42 p.m.
• Bonus Game 4: Minecraft: Java Edition Any% Random Seed Glitchless (Current Version) - 7:37 p.m.

Thursday, June 30

• Devil May Cry Dante Must Die All Collectables - 1:01 a.m.
• Incredible Crisis Any% - 6:39 a.m.
• Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble Any% - 10:15 a.m.
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance NG+ Hard - 5:38 p.m.
• StepMania/NotITG Couples Exhibition - 6:58 p.m.
• Celeste True Ending - 9:38 p.m.

Friday, July 1

• Satisfactory Package% - 8:35 a.m.
• Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl Any% Glitchless - 10:08 a.m.
• F-Zero GX Story Mode, Max Speed, Very Hard - 3:38 p.m.
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Randomizer Co-Op 5 Dungeonsanity - 4:38 p.m.
• Portal 2 Inbounds No Saveload Abuse TAS - 7:18 p.m.
• Super Mario World Relay Race - 10:48 p.m.

Saturday, July 2

• Left 4 Dead 2 Main Campaigns Co-op - 2:08 a.m.
• Final Fantasy X Any% Cutscene Remover - 3:16 a.m.
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PC European Extreme - 7:34 a.m.
• Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World All Five Games w/ ACE - 2:27 p.m.
• Super Mario Maker 2 Relay Race - 7:31 p.m.
• Elden Ring All Remembrances - 11:21 p.m.

The post Summer Games Done Quick 2022 ?kicks off today, so here are some ru??ns to watch for appeared first on Destructoid.

Fighting Back

In 2021, Capcom released two exclusive charity skins for its formative fighter Street Fighter V �/em> The skins, which were made available for franchise heroes Ryu and Chun-Li, were sold for $5.99 each, with Capcom promising to donate all proceeds of the sales to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

Back in person for the first time in two years

Games Done Quick is one of the most popular and beloved gaming charity events out there, and this year, they're finally back in person with Summer Games Done Quick 2022 as we learned a few months ago. Now the organization has also just released the full schedule for the event this year, and we couldn't? be? more stoked for it.

The SGDQ 2022 lineup will feature speedruns of our old favorites like Shadow of the Colossus, Mass Effect, and Spyro the Dragon, while newer titles are also on the table like Tunic and Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

Summer Games Done Quick 2022 will take place at the DoubleTree Hilton Bloomington-Minneapolis Hotel in Bloomington, MN from June 26–July 3. It may be the first time back in person in two years, something we're all incredibly exci??ted about, but that doesn't mean SGDQ won't be taking the necessary precautions.

The event will be following full Covid-19 guidelines to make sure that fans can have a fun, safe time this year �attendees will need to be fully vaccinated, and will be required to wear a KN95/N95/KF94 face mask at all times while in attendance. If you can't make it in person, that's totally fine too, because the entire event will also be available to stream on the official Games Done Quick Twitch channel.

This year's SGDQ will be directly benefitting Doctors Without Bo?rders / Médecins Sans Frontières, an internat??ional medical non-governmental organization that provides medical care to those in crisis around the world. Viewers or audience members will be able to donate to the cause, will 100% of all donations going directly to Doctors Without Borders. What could be better than enjoying some video games while helping out those in need at the same time? Nothing, that's what.

You can find more details about SGDQ 2022 on their official website, and n?ow we have something to look forward to for the next few month??s.

The post Summer Games Done Quick announces their schedule fo??r 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

Aiming to further improve inclusivity in the region

Women in Games, the non-profit organization dedicated to opportunity and representation for women in the gaming industry, has announced that it will be opening a brand new chapter in Asia, hoping to further promote and drive its goals within the ??region.

The brand new expansi??on will be helmed by Dan Sun, Diversity & Inclusion Business Partner for Riot Games Asia, and Kah Hui Teo, Global Localisatio??n Manager at Keywords Studios. The new division represents a huge and important step for the Women in Games organization on a global scale.

"These are exciting times for Women in Games as we continue to grow our community ?and our initiatives," said Women in Games CEO Marie-Claire Isaaman. "We are delighted to be announcing our first Chapter in Asia, and look forward to working with Dan and Kah who will be helping us with our ambitions and goals of promoting and supporting women in the region."

"Women in Games Asia is the first international chapter to co-drive the Women in Games mission in the region," adds Dan Sun. "We commit to improving accessibility and inclusion from the gender perspective with ground??ed initiatives that provide our community with career development, networking, and industry recognition opportunities."

Women in Games will reach out to women within the Asian games industry via its monthly event "W Coffee" �a virtual meet-up for all associates to gather and discuss the important topics of gender pay disparity, education, inclusivity in the workplace, and finding opportunities for young women attempting to get a foothold in gaming. For more information on Women in Gaming, W Coffee, and chapter establishment, visit the official Women in Games website.

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The proceeds will go to several humanitarian aid organizations

Epic has revealed the total amount raised from its two-week charity efforts. Fortnite proceeds have raised $144 million USD in total for h??umanitarian relief efforts for people affected by war in Ukraine.

For two weeks, Epic and Xbox committed all Fortnite proceeds towards relief efforts. It started on March 20 and within a single day had already raised $36 million. This morning, the day after the charity efforts concluded, Epic confirmed the total amount at $144 million.

The contributions will go towards Direct Relief, UNICEF, UN World Food Program, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and t??he World Central Kitchen.

//twitt?er.com/FortniteGame/status/1510981457?195454474

Fortnite has been a hot topic too, thanks to the temporary removal of building. Alongside a host of new cosmetics, including Marvel's Dr. Strange, Fortnite removed the ability to build for a short time during this season. It's back now, though those that enjoyed the new way to play can still ditch the blueprints in Zero Build mode.

The $144 million raised in Fortnite for Ukraine came from all real-money purchases, in?cluding V-Buck packs, gifte??d Battle Passes, and cosmetics. Funds were set to be logged and sent to relief organizations as they came in as well.

Other companies have also been supporting efforts in Ukraine. Both Humble Bundle and a large number of indie developers on Itch put together c?harity bundles to raise funds for aid in the regi??on.

Publishers like Electronic Arts, Microsoft, and CD Projekt have halted sales of their products in Russia and Belarus as well. And this morning, World of Tanks studio Wargaming ann?ounced it is leaving both Russia and Belarus, handing operations of its very popular live service games over? to a local studio.

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The two companies have raised $36 million in just 24 hours' time

Over the weekend, Epic Games and Microsoft announced they'd be teaming up to donate proceeds in Fortnite towards humanitarian relief in Ukraine. Even on?e day in, the two companies have raised a significant amount.

On March 20, Epic announced it's committing all Fortnite proceeds from March 20 through April 3, 2022 towards humanitarian relief in Ukraine. Xbox also committed its net proceeds for Fortnite during this time. The two are sending funds to UNICEF, World Food Programme, the UN Ref?ugee Agency, and Direct Relief.

All "real-money purchases," from V-Buck packs and gifted Battle Passes to cosmetics, are part of this. Using V-Bucks inside Fortnite is not in?cluded, however, as those are?? not "real-money" purchases.

By today, March 21, Epic announced the effort had already raised $36 million USD in relief efforts. According to its ??FAQ, Epic is not waiting for the funds to come in from platforms and payment partners; rather, as soon as transactions are reported, they're being logged a??nd funds are sent to relief organizations.

//twitt??er.com/Fortn??iteGame/status/1505894426723463184

This effort coincides with the launch of Fortnite's latest season, which adds characters like Dr. Strange and made a big change in removing building from many game modes.

Epic and Xbox's efforts are some of many in the games industry to assist relief efforts in Ukraine. Humble announced a special Stand With Ukraine bundle last week, containing many major games and pieces of content. An Itch.io bundle also h?osted a significant number of indie creators, all gathere?d to raise funds for relief efforts.

Meanwhile, developers and publishers have called for support and pledged their own contributions.

The post Epic and Xbox are donating? two weeks of Fortnite proceeds to Ukraine relief appeared first on Destructoid.

The crowds will once again cheer 'orb'

Speedrunning charity event Games Done Quick is bringing back the audience. GDQ confirms that Summer Games Done Quick 202??2 will be taking place in person this year, on June 26 thr?ough July 3.

The event will take place in Bloomington, Minnesota, and benefit Doc??tors Without Borders. The full COVID safety policy will be posted on March 21, but Games Done Quick confirms that proof of  vaccination will be required. KN95 / N95 masks are also required in event areas and on stream.

GDQ is reducing the event cap, as well as practicing social distancing. Organizers are also asking attendees to stick to two pe?ople to a room at the hotel. Games Done Quick says it will continue to evaluate, and may adjust policies or cancel all in-person plans in response to COVID-19 developments.

//twitter.com/GamesDoneQuick/status/150489??6306132619264

Also, some on-site activities will not return this summer. GDQ specifically cites the board game room and panels. Submissions for the speedrunning event open on March 21. If distance is desired, GDQ says it is also accepting a ?limited number of remote runs.

It's a lot of safeties and precautions, which is honestly reassuring. Of the many live events that had to adapt to the pandemic, GDQ pulled it off well. The speedrunning charity organization hosted several GDQ events remotely to great success. Going remote has even made it easier to spotlight some interesting runs, like the Half-Life: Alyx VR run and multiple rhythm game showcases.

Still, I've admittedly miss?ed the crowds. There's something different about hearing the cheers, chants, and laughter from the crowd throughout each week. It's nice to see SGDQ returning to an in-person as best it can, while taking precautions along the way. Hopefully all goes well and we can see some masked onlookers cheering on speedrunners once June rolls around.

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Another bundle to bolster humanitarian aid for Ukraine

A new bundle is live to aid efforts in Ukraine, with this one crafted by the bundle makers at Humble. The Humble Stand With Ukraine bundle has over 120 pieces of c?ontent, from games to books and more. 100% of proceeds are going towards humanitarian relief efforts.

"The violent and unlawful invasion in Ukra??ine is taking a tragic toll—displacing people, devastat?ing families, and creating an urgent need for food, water, supplies, shelter, and safety," said Humble on the landing page.

Included in this bundle are some pretty notable games, from indies to major publishers. It's not just video games, though. Fantasy roleplaying books for Pathfinder and Warhammer ar??e i?n, as well as game dev assets, comics, and a one-year subscription to GameMaker Studio 2 Creator. The over 120 pieces of content are worth over $2500. The full bundle is obtainable at the $40 mark.

//twitter.com/humble/status/1504880353529544706

Proceeds will go towards Razom for Ukraine, the International Rescue Committee, International Medical Corps, and Direct Relief. These organizations are helping with relief efforts for the people of Ukraine, amid the invasion of Russian forces.

Notable games in the bundle include:

• Metro Exodus
• Back 4 Blood
• Satisfactory
• This War of Mine
• Kerbal Space Program
• Skullgirls 2nd Encore
• The Amnesia trilogy
• SUPERHOT
• Drawful 2
• Going Under

And?? many, many more. It's a seriously stacked lineup, a?nd those are only the games. As of this writing, the Humble bundle has already raised over $100,000 for Ukraine.

Other industry efforts have sprung up to bolster humanitarian aid in Ukraine as well. Several developers have contributed sales and proceeds to charity, and a bundle went live on Itch last week with a veritable flood of indie games.

If you'd like to contribute, you can find the Humble Stand With Ukraine bundle here.

The post Humble Stand With Ukraine bundle i??s packed with games, books, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

The indie bundle has already raised over $1 million for aid in Ukraine

Indie developers are bundling their games and content together to support Ukraine. The Bundle for Ukraine on Itch has raised o??ver $1 million in aid for the region, and still has nine days to go.

T?h?e bundle, hosted by Necrosoft Games, has 991 pieces of content in it. These range from indie games to assets, tabletop adventures, books, zines, music, and more. The total of buying it all together would equal about $6,539. The whole Itch bundle for Ukraine is available for a minimum $10 donation.

/?/twitter.com/necrosofty/status/15?00994927378923521

All proceeds will be split between two charities: International Medical Corps, which provides medical assistance in Ukraine, and Voice of Children, a Ukrainian organization that helps children and ha?s been providing additional a?id like shelters.

Many of these games have never been in a big bundle before, and according to Necrosoft, some even signed up ?for Itch just to be in this charity bundle. A good cause is reason enough to p??itch in and help out, but here's a quick rundown of some notable indies in the pack:

• SkateBIRD
• CrossCode
• Celeste
• Kingdom: Two Crowns
• Minit
• Lucifer Within Us
• SUPERHOT
• Sundered: Eldritch Edition
• Baba Is You
• Quadrilateral Cowboy
• Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!
• Moon Hunters
• TowerFall Ascension
• Long Gone Days

That's just a handful of the almost 1,000 items in the Itch Bundle for Ukraine. As I was writing this story up, the amount raised rose over $1 million, and keeps on steadily going up. Much like the Itch Black Lives Matter bundle, it's a bunch of? quality games for a really good cause.

If you want to pitch in and keep the numbers going up, you can find the Itch Bundle for Ukraine here.

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Eat sh!t, Greg Abbott

It's important to remember with all the terrible stuff happening abroad right now that there is plenty of terrible stuff going on i?n the United States. You've probably seen the reports of the awful pieces of legislation making their way through state legislatures targeting the LGBTQ community (not to mention all of the legislation being passed targeting how we teach about historic racism in Ameri??ca, which is a whole clusterfuck of itself).

In Florida, we have the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which could create a legal minefield for teachers if discussions of LGBTQ topics come up in class. Big props to Disney for continuing to support the legislators behind it. Arkansas has signed legislation banning trans girls from participating in school sports. Arkansas is also one of the unhealthiest states in the US, so I really don't think they should be discouraging anyone from participating in physical activ??ities.

Finally, we have Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In a truly sick and twisted directive, Abbott has called on members of the public to report parents who are allowing their kids to receive gender-affirming medical care to authorities. This is in accordance with an opinion released by Texas At?tor?ney General Ken Paxton which claimed such medical treatment amounted to child abuse in the state. Investigations are? already underway on parents, though some district attorneys in Texas are refusing to comply and the ACLU and Lambda Legal are currently fighting the directive.

How you can help

Suffice to say, it's a real shitty time to be a member of the LGBTQ community in a red state and that's particularly true for trans individuals. They need help, and right now there is a way you can help raise funds for trans advocacy in Texas by doing what you do anyway:? buying a crapload of games.

Right now at itch.io, you can get the TTRPGs for Trans Rights in Texas! bundle. For just $5, you'll get access to 493 items/games, with proceeds going to support the Transgender Education Network of Texas and Organización Latina de Trans en Texas. Both organizatio??ns provide assistance to trans individuals in need, and if Greg Abbott's directive is allowed to continue, there are going to be a lot of trans kids needing help soon.

Now, I don't play tabletop RPGs because I'm a loser with no friends. However, members of the Destructoid team have pointed to Thirsty Sword Lesbians and Princess With a Cursed Sword as being two notable titles from the bundle. Thirsty Sword Lesbians normally asks for $15 to pu?rchase, but again, you can get it and hundreds of other tabletop games for as little as $5.

The TTRPGs for Trans Ri?ghts in Texas! bundle will be available at itch.io until Sunday, April 3.

The post Get nearly 500 games for $5 with this itch.io bundle to h?elp the Texas trans community appeared first on Destructoid.

All of the new level's proceeds will go towards humanitarian aid for Ukraine

Doom co-creator John Romero is raising support for Ukraine on a brand-new level. Romero has a new level for Doom 2, and all proceeds from it will go towards aiding huma?nitarian efforts in Ukraine.

Called "One Humanity," this is Romero's first Doom 2 level since the original came out in 1994. The level, also known as the .WAD, requires an original copy of Doom 2 and a modern source port to play.

All the proceeds from the � Doom 2 level wil?l go towards the people of Ukraine, a?iding the efforts of the Red Cross and UN Central Emergency Response Fund.

//twitter.com/romero/status/1499172470330437633

It's pretty easy and cheap to get a copy of Doom 2, alongside its predecessor, these days. And now you can play new content for it w?h??ile helping humanitarian aid where it's needed.

Many game developers and publishers have been calling for support and releasing statements on the Rus?sian invasion of Ukraine. From donating game sales to making donations, many been putting their support behind the citizens of Ukraine.

Others, meanwhile, have been pulling their content away from Russia. EA Sports has removed the Russian national teams and clubs from two of its games, echoing decisions made by their real-life counterparts. And CD Projekt, the group that publishes CD Projekt Red games like Cyberpunk 2077 and also owns digital gaming platform GOG, announced that it will be halting digital and physical sales in Russia and Belarus to call attent??ion? to the invasion of Ukraine.

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GDQ's Fast Femmes return

[Update: Frost Fatales is now live! Check out all the action right here on Twitch.]

Are you ready for another week of wild speedruns, all in the name of a worthwhile cause? Well, if so (and I always am), this week sees the return of Frost Fatales, the all-women speedrun event hosted by the Games?? Done Quick Frame Fatales community. The action kicks off Sunday, February 27, and ??will run until March 6.

Much like last year's event, and summer's epic Flame Fatales gathering, Frost Fatales 2022 will take place in an online capacity, as a legion of dedicated and expert gaming gals ply their trade against a wide variety of titles, old and new. A brief look at the schedule promises exciting times with classic games from The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, and DuckTales franchises, with more modern fare coming in the form of Hades, NieR: Automata, WarioWare: Get it Together, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Once again, viewers will be able to send in words of encouragement and applause, along with donations to Frost Fatales' chosen charity, The Malala Fund. Co-founded by the youngest Nobel prize winner in history, Malala Yousafzai, The Malala Fund is a non-profit organization that supports and provides access to secondary education for women and girls all over the world, regardless of their status, background, or local economy. Flame Fatales 2021 raised an awesome $127,000 last summer, and will no doubt ??be looking to smash that record achieve??ment.

It's going to be a great event, and you can check out all of the action yourself over on the official Games Done Quick Twitch channel. Good luck to the crew and all of the Frost Fatale runners and str??eamers!

The post All-women’s speedrun event Frost Fatales kicks off this weekend appeared first on Destructoid.

Industry figures are supporting Ukraine and condemning Russia's actions

This week, the Russian military invaded Ukraine, as part of what Russian president Vladimir Putin calls a "special military operation." The invasion and missile strikes have resulted in the displacement and death of?? Ukrainian troops and citizens.

Over the last couple of days, games industry figures, studios, and publishers have been putting their support out for Ukraine. This has included both Ukrainian developers like Frogwares and GSC Game World issuing statements on the invasion, and compani??es across the world calling for ?support.

GSC Game World, the studio behind the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, shared a special aid account and called on "all of our colleagues in the gaming industry" to share their post. 4A Games, makers of the Metro series of games shared a statement and call for support as well.

"We can't just stand by," Frogwares said on its Twitter account. "Russia attacks our homeland and denies the sovereignty of Ukraine. We are trying to stay safe, but this i?s war, there are no two ways about it. We call on everyone to force Putin to withdraw from our?? lands."

//twitter.com/natusvinc?ere/status/14968?08817979535361

Esports organization Natus Vincere, a.k.a. Navi, is based out of Ukraine and also put out a statement and shared a donation link. Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev, a Ukrainian player for Natus Vincere's CS:GO team, gave a speech at IEM Katowice calling for peace and solidarity.

Publishers like Crytivo and tinyBuild are also offering help for their Ukrainian employees and partners to get to safety themselves. Esports organization Team Liquid has also opened up housing support for friends and colleagues who are stuck and unable to ge??t home.

Developers and publishers have amped up calls for support as well. Polish dev 11 bit studios announced that all profits over the coming week from This War of Mine, on all stores and platforms, will?? go to a special fund for the Ukrainian Red Cross to direct?ly support victims of war.

Amanita Design is donating its next weeks' earnings from Machinarium, CHUCHEL, and Creaks to a nonprofit organization aiding those affected by the invasion. And State of Play will be donating its next weeks' ?earnings from its games to the Ukrainian Red Cross.

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After Bungie CEO Pete Parsons tweeted in support of Ukraine, Bungie announced it is donating 100% of the first 48 hours of its Game2Give drive to aid humanitarian efforts. Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red announced it is donating 1 million PLN to humanitarian aid efforts. Publisher Raw Fury is donating to the Ukrainian Red Cross. And a bundle is currently being put together by developer Brandon Sheffield, with a 50/50 split for Ukrainian ?support a??nd support for trans youth in Texas.

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