The speedrunning community had another exciting week filled with world records, major announcements, and inspiring stories ahead of one of the biggest events of the year.
Suigi Reclaims the Spotlight
One of the week’s biggest moments came from legendary Super Mario 64 runner Suigi, who finally improved his long-standing 16-Star world record. The achievement quickly became the most discussed post of the week, with fans celebrating another incredible milestone in one of speedrunning’s most competitive categories.
A Decade Comes to an End
After ten years of competition, SHiFT announced his retirement from SpongeBob: Battle for Bikini Bottom speedrunning. Throughout the years, SHiFT became one of the game’s defining runners, helping push strategies and inspire countless newcomers. While stepping away from competition, his impact on the community will undoubtedly remain.
Interestingly, the SpongeBob community wasn’t done making headlines. Just days later, StarSpeedruns set a new Any% world record with an impressive 40:35, showing that the game’s competitive scene is still evolving.
Summer Games Done Quick Begins This Week
The countdown is finally over—Summer Games Done Quick 2026 begins on July 5.
The week-long charity marathon returns with both in-person and online runs, once again raising money for Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières. Since GDQ began in 2010, the organization has raised over $60 million for charity, making it one of gaming’s most successful fundraising events.
With dozens of games, bonus incentives, exciting races, and memorable commentary scheduled throughout the week, SGDQ remains one of the highlights of the speedrunning calendar.
A Reminder of What Makes the Community Special
One discussion that resonated with many players involved a runner hoping to compete for a world record in the classic PC game Chaos Island: The Lost World.
They discovered that the current world record appears to have been achieved on an emulator that unintentionally runs the game faster than original Windows 98 hardware, making it effectively impossible to match on authentic equipment.
Rather than turning into controversy, the story had a heartwarming conclusion. After reaching out to both the game’s moderation team and the current record holder, everyone worked together to find a fair solution. It’s a great example of how speedrunning communities often prioritize accuracy, fairness, and cooperation over competition alone.
More Events Around the Community
Competitive events continue beyond SGDQ:
- The Any% Ladder League Playoffs for LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga will feature 8 of the game’s Top 10 runners competing in person.
- A $900 Armored Core Speedrun Bounty has officially begun, rewarding the fastest runs submitted throughout July rather than requiring an outright world record.
- RPG Limit Break Speedruns United (RPGSU) Offline 2026 has opened submissions for runners interested in participating.
More World Records
Several other impressive records were posted throughout the week, including:
- A blindfolded Super Smash Bros. 64 Break the Targets world record with Mario.
- A new SAROS Fresh File world record.
- A Rainbow Road Story Mode world record.
- A remarkable Hollow Knight Delicate Flower Quest completion in just 2 minutes and 48 seconds.
Looking Ahead
With SGDQ kicking off this weekend, the speedrunning community is preparing for one of its busiest and most exciting weeks of the year. Between world records falling across multiple games, community-driven events, and charity fundraising, there’s plenty for both longtime fans and newcomers to enjoy.
Whether you’re tuning in for your favorite game, discovering a new speedrun, or simply enjoying the incredible skill on display, this week promises to showcase exactly why speedrunning continues to thrive.
Source: reddit.com