Welcome to this week’s edition of Speedrunning Weekly, where we round up the biggest moments, records, and discussions from the past week in the speedrunning community!
Event Highlights
SpeeDons 2025 Sets a New Fundraising Record
One of the biggest speedrunning marathons, SpeeDons 2025, wrapped up last Sunday with an incredible achievement—raising a record-breaking €2,231,146 for Médecins Du Monde! The event showcased some of the most talented runners in the community and proved, once again, that speedrunning is not only about breaking records but also about making a real-world impact.
Speed4TLC Marathon Supports Transgender Law Center
Another notable event this week was Speed4TLC, a three-day speedrunning marathon dedicated to raising funds for the Transgender Law Center. The event brought together a variety of speedrunners for an amazing cause. If you missed it, check out their VODs and consider supporting the movement!
World Records of the Week
It’s been a fantastic week for records, with multiple speedrunners pushing the limits of their respective games:
- Super Mario 64 – 1-Star WR: Suigi achieved an incredible 6:56.083 on his first day returning to the category. Watch the run here.
- Super Metroid – Low% Ice WR: Oatsngoats shattered expectations with a 48:12 time, setting a new benchmark in this challenging category.
- Chrono Cross Any% WR (PSX): SuperHandi clocked in at 6:35:47, overcoming tons of RNG and showcasing some seriously cool strategies.
- Portal Any% WR: Sidious completed the game in 5:39.960, marking the biggest WR improvement in three years and the first-ever sub-5:40 time!
- Final Fantasy VII Any% (PSX) WR: Zheal delivered a stunning 5:12:53 run, further optimizing one of the most popular RPG speedruns.
- THPS3 Any% WR: A lightning-fast 3:12 time was set, proving that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater speedruns remain an art form of their own.
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy (PC) WR: Dark_Tenka sped through the game as Ermac in 7:16, setting a new best time.
- Pac-Man Arrangement WR: Joester98 achieved a 9:19.434, adding yet another milestone in the classic arcade genre.
- SEGA Rally 2 WR: A 25-year-old record was finally broken by kurobara_yuk, an impressive feat in a long-standing category.
Discussions & New Tech
Speedrunners as Unofficial Vulnerability Researchers
A fascinating discussion emerged this week about how speedrunners often function as vulnerability researchers without even realizing it. By exploiting unintended mechanics, glitches, and bugs, runners push games to their limits, mirroring the work of cybersecurity experts in discovering vulnerabilities in software.
Games with the Biggest Speedrun vs. Casual Time Gap
One of the week’s most engaging threads asked: What game has the largest time difference between a normal playthrough and a speedrun? While Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was a key example (from 70 hours down to 6), the community explored even more extreme cases, with some RPGs and open-world games having reductions of over 90% in playtime.
Possible New Tech Found in Avowed?
There’s some excitement brewing in the Avowed speedrunning community, as a potential new piece of tech has been discovered. It remains to be seen how it will impact future runs, but keep an eye out for developments!
New Tools for Managing Twitch Runs on Speedrun.com
Speedrun.com has introduced new tools to help runners manage Twitch runs more effectively. This update aims to provide better organization and accessibility for live speedrunning content.
Interviews & Video Features
GrandPooBear Talks Kaizo Mario and Speedrunning
In an insightful interview, GrandPooBear shared his thoughts on speedrunning, the evolution of Super Mario Maker, and what the game needs next. If you’re a fan of Kaizo levels or Mario speedrunning, this is a must-read. Full interview here.
How Teams of Speedrunners Broke Zofia
A deep dive into how teams of speedrunners systematically break games and optimize strategies, focusing on Zofia. Check out the video here.
How to Understand Every Speedrun
If you’ve ever been confused by the terminology or techniques in speedrunning, a new video explains how to follow along with any run. A great resource for newcomers and veterans alike!
Final Thoughts
It’s been another action-packed week in speedrunning, with records falling, new discoveries being made, and events making a real-world impact. Whether you’re grinding a new PB or just watching in awe, the speedrunning community continues to inspire.
What was your favorite moment of the week? Let us know in the comments!
See you next week for another edition of Speedrunning Weekly! 🚀
Source: reddit.com