There’s always a lot to look forward to at Gamescom, but this year, the German games show has an extra surprise packed into its already stuffed programme: a special three-day Games Done Quick (GDQ) speedrunning event is taking place at the trade show between 28th and 30th August, 2026. Notably, this is GDQ’s first-ever event hosted in Europe.
Per a press release shared by Gamescom, the event – titled, simply, Gamescom GDQ – features three days of speedrunning, with programming beginning daily at 10am CEST (that’s 4am ET/ 1am PT) and running until approximately 8pm CEST (that’s 2pm ET/ 11am PT). As ever with GDQ events, there’s space for Gamescom attendees to experience the event live on-site, while global audiences can tune in via GDQ’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.
If you’re a speedrun-watching regular, you’ll know the winter event (Awesome Games Done Quick) raises money to benefit the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The summer event (Summer Games Done Quick) benefits Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. This new Gamescom event is raising money for Gaming for Democracy, an initiative created in partnership with Bertelsmann Stiftung and Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur, supporting civic engagement and democratic values through gaming culture. It’ll be interesting to see how much money the European effort raises, especially because, since 2010, Games Done Quick has raised more than $60 million for charities worldwide.
If you’re a European speedrunner keen to show off your chops when it comes to breaking and rapidly beating your favourite game, runner submissions open 4th May via the GDQ website.. The full event schedule will be announced at a later date.
“We’re thrilled to expand Games Done Quick globally and to bring a live event to Gamescom in Germany, an opportunity that’s incredibly meaningful to our team,” said Ashley Farkas, owner and business director at Games Done Quick. “This partnership not only supports an amazing initiative, but also creates space for more runners to participate, especially those who haven’t previously had the opportunity to travel to the US.”
“Games Done Quick and Gamescom are a perfect match,” added Stefan Heikhaus, head of Gamescom & events at game. “Here, it becomes clear what makes gaming so special: the sense of community, the passion, the competition, but also simply the joy of playing games and creatively pushing the boundaries of the rules. Added to this is the social commitment. Gamescom GDQ is therefore the ideal complement to the Gamescom programme.”
If you want a European speedrunning fix ahead of the event, it’s worth checking out ESA, the European Speedrun Assembly. Its next event takes place 31st July through 8th August, and is dedicated to providing a platform for European speedrunners, as opposed to the (largely) US-focused contingent at GDQ.
