From world records to wild glitches, here’s what the speedrunning community has been up to this week.
🥇 Major World Records
It’s been a record-heavy week, with runners pushing old games (and some new ones) to their absolute limits.
- Spiritual-Vast7660 proudly announced becoming a #1 World Record holder, sharing the excitement with the community in a celebratory post that drew plenty of congrats.
- StormySE shattered the Hollow Knight: Silksong Any% NMG record with an impressive 56:07, continuing the growing wave of Silksong-related runs this month.
- Logan 🇺🇸 took the Mario Kart World – Acorn Heights WR with 1:57.471, earning his 22nd unique track record and now holding the most current WRs at three.
- Zae 🇺🇸 claimed Shy Guy Bazaar with a new triple trick strat, clocking in at 1:50.852 — a breakthrough for one of Mario Kart World’s longest-standing tracks.
- Vincent 🇺🇸 tied the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DS Tick-Tock Clock 200cc WR at 1:12.658, pushing his total to 57 current world records, beating Alberto’s long-standing 2023 record of 56.
- Snibbin achieved a major milestone by breaking the 4-hour barrier in Factorio: Space Age — a huge feat in one of the most complex automation games out there.
- mcgyna pulled off a double WR in Snowboard Kids, taking Copper Pass in 35:13 and Any% in 59:38, joking that “ArianaFan420 will probably yoink it back soon.”
- SmaugySpeedruns continued their Ocarina of Time dominance with a Nocturne RTA WR of 39:56, marking their 58th world record overall.
🧩 Glitches, Skips, and Tech Discoveries
The Silksong community is thriving — not just with new WRs but also new ways to break the game.
- Potential_Note_9713 discovered a crystal dash glitch that could redefine future routes.
- crossbrowser showcased the Terminus Skip, allowing runners to skip 99.9% of Act 2 — a massive find that could change category definitions entirely.
Meanwhile, Msushi dropped a new deep-dive on Portal’s biggest skip — and how it just got even faster — while Omedas explained the science of perfect jumps in SM64 through “Arctan Straining.”
And if you’re into speedrun pain, DoctorSwellman’s new video on Digimon World 3 reminds us that some runs are pure RNG nightmares.
🎮 Events and Competitions
- GDQx 2025 is live! The event kicked off strong, with Super Monkey Ball Deluxe stealing the show early on. As usual, all proceeds are going toward charity.
- The RPG Speedrunner Union launched its first mini-event, shining the spotlight on long-form runs and niche JRPGs that don’t always get marathon attention.
- A $150 Speedrun Competition for Overlooting went live this week, giving newer runners a shot at some prize money.
- Klamore74 also announced a speedrun contest with a giveaway, adding to the week’s competitive spirit.
- In local news, Rx Gaming (a nonprofit helping gamers with disabilities) is seeking speedrunners near Indianapolis to perform live demos at their upcoming LAN fundraiser this January.
⏱️ Community Discussions
The subreddit’s discussion threads were lively this week:
- erockbrox started a great talk on games with built-in speedrun timers, drawing dozens of replies about favorites like Celeste, Metroid Dread, and Neon White.
- The weekly “What are you watching?” thread featured people chatting about new streamers, GDQx favorites, and some underrated YouTube channels.
- Distinct-Snow-5243 asked about USB-to-N64 controller adapters, sparking a mini tech deep-dive.
🧠 Cool Finds & Personal Bests
- Meester_Tweester shared a tight Super Mario Bros. Any% segment with clean 4-2 and 8-4 times — sitting at a sharp 4:54.398 pace.
- VarietyPassion kept grinding SpongeBob: Titans of the Tide Demo, improving from 4:09 to 3:57 within days.
- TuesdayHC uploaded a PB in The Lacerator – No Laceration% (35:04), because apparently, naming conventions in speedrunning are as wild as the strats.
💬 Final Thoughts
From GDQx hype to a flood of Silksong discoveries, it’s been an exciting week for runners across all genres. Whether you’re routing a new skip, grinding for sub-4, or watching live charity runs, the community’s energy is stronger than ever.
See you next week — and remember: save the frames, save the world.
Source: reddit.com