
Week-long Video Game Speedrunning Stream Raises Millions for Charity
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
Every year, two massive speedrunning events take place, with Awesome Games Done Quick typically being held in the Winter, and Summer Games Done Quick being held in the Summer. The latter took place last week, and it was a rousing success, raising millions of dollars for charity.
Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) took place from July 6 to July 13, 2025, with a week-long, 24-hour a day stream featuring a host of popular speedrunners playing dozens of games with viewers encouraged to donate to support Doctors Without Borders. It was a wildly successful event, too, with viewers donating a massive $2,436,614 to the charity throughout the week.
Speedrunner Shayy playing Deltarune in the finale of Summer Games Done Quick 2025.
Speedrunner Shayy playing Deltarune in the finale of Summer Games Done Quick 2025.
Games Done Quick
Speedrunning is a competitive type of gameplay that sees players trying to complete a video game as fast as they possibly can. Typically, these players – called speedrunners or runners – will stream their attempts to viewers on Twitch and YouTube, acting as both a form of entertainment for the viewers and as a publicly verifiable record of the attempt for the runner.
🏁TIME🏁#SGDQ2025 has raised a total amount of $2,436,614 for @MSF_USA!
Thank you to everyone who made this marathon possible, and to all of you for your amazing generosity & support. 💙
See you at #AGDQ2026!!! pic.twitter.com/AlOkC58dZr — Games Done Quick @ #SGDQ2025 (@GamesDoneQuick) July 13, 2025
Hundreds of games and runners were on display during SGDQ, with popular fan favorites like Sonic the Hedgehog, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario Bros mixed in with more obscure games like Sega Marine Fishing. The event was capped off with a glitchless run of Deltarune, the latest game from Toby Fox, creator of Undertale, which had multiple "bid wars" in which viewers could donate money to a specific choice that can be made by the runner in the game.
While the almost $2.5 million raised during this year's stream is certainly admirable, it's far from the biggest success story in Games Done Quick history. 2022's SGDQ brought in over $3 million, while 2022's AGDQ raised $3.44 million dollars for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
To date, the event has raised over $55 million for charity, most of which has gone to Doctors Without Borders, the primary recipient for SGDQ, and Prevent Cancer Foundation, the primary recipient for AGDQ. Games Done Quick has also held a series of smaller marathon events for other charities, such as Direct Relief, the National Women's Law Center, and The Trevor Project, among many others.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
30 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Who is Kristin Cabot? Astronomer Employee Allegedly Caught With Andy Bryan
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Andy Byron was caught on a jumbotron at a Coldplay concert embracing a woman reported to be his company's chief human resources officer. Newsweek contacted Astronomer for comment via email on Friday outside regular working hours. The Context Coldplay concert footage showed the Astronomer CEO hugging Kristin Cabot, his company's chief people officer, from behind on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Astronomer is a private data infrastructure startup that achieved "unicorn" status in 2022 with a $1 billion or more valuation. Coldplay in concert at the Manchester Etihad Stadium as part of their Music Of The Spheres World Tour in 2023. Coldplay in concert at the Manchester Etihad Stadium as part of their Music Of The Spheres World Tour in 2023. Press Association via AP Images When the pair realized they were on camera, they moved away from each other and ducked out of the camera's view. Coldplay front man Chris Martin said: "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy." The footage of this scene went viral, with the original video amassing more than 45 million views on TikTok and other platforms. What To Know Cabot was previously married to an individual named Kenneth Thornby but divorced him in 2022, according to the New York Post, which cited Massachusetts records. Newsweek was unable to verify these details. The former couple shares at least one child. Byron has been at the tech company since July 2023, while Cabot joined in November 2024, according to LinkedIn. On this profile, she describes herself as "a passionate people leader known for building award-winning cultures from the ground up for fast-growing startups and multinational corporations. An influential leader and fearless change-agent, I lead by example and win trust with employees of all levels, from CEOs to managers to assistants." In a news release announcing her hiring, Byron praised Cabot for her "exceptional leadership and deep expertise" and her "passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces." "I like to classify my role in the realm of People Strategy," she said in a January interview with HRTech Series. She added: "Magic happens when you align the people strategy to the business strategy and sync the two." Previously, she studied at Gettysburg College where she received a Bachelor of Arts in political science. She has worked at a range of companies including Razorfish & DigitasLBi, Razorfish Global and Neo4j. What People Are Saying Ry Walker, Astronomer's former CEO, wrote on X: "For those asking—I'm no longer involved in @astronomerio—yes I was co-founder and early CEO—not on the team or board since 2022, and have no information on ColdplayGate." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether or not Byron or Cabot will comment publicly.


Newsweek
30 minutes ago
- Newsweek
A Stranger's Alleged Affair Has Gone Viral—Here's Why We Can't Look Away
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. You have probably heard the words "Coldplay 'cheating' scandal" more over the past two days than the band's hit single "Yellow" at family gatherings. The now-viral incident unfolded at a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, on July 16. The CEO of Astronomer, Andy Byron, was caught on the stadium's kiss cam in a romantic embrace with his company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, who immediately covered her face. Byron's expression shifted from affectionate to panicked. The pair fled the scene and have become the subject of intense public scrutiny due to their alleged infidelity. Newsweek reached out to the Astronomer press team for comment via email. "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy," Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said as the moment unraveled in plain sight. Andy Byron embraces Kristin Cabot before they realized they were on the kissing cam. Andy Byron embraces Kristin Cabot before they realized they were on the kissing cam. Grace Springer via Storyful/Grace Springer via Storyful Within hours, a video of the scene posted to TikTok racked up more than 5.2 million likes and nearly 50 million views. Commenters swiftly turned sleuths and comedians, identifying the couple and transforming the scandal into memes. "CEO Andy Byron's wife said she didn't see any red flags about him going to that concert. They were all yellow," wrote @jayrivhahaha on Threads. Another user added on the platform: "Can you imagine 63-year-old Susan from accounting who's not really online going in today and innocently asking, 'How was the Coldplay concert?' Like maybe Susan doesn't even check Slack." Why Cheating Scandals Hit So Hard Daren Banarsë, senior psychotherapist at IN Therapy, told Newsweek that infidelity stories resonate because they touch deep psychological nerves. "Cheating scandals hit us where it hurts—they activate primal fears around betrayal, abandonment, and broken trust," Banarsë said. "Watching that raw, panicked reaction bypasses our usual filters. It feels real—and that authenticity is magnetic in a culture saturated with performance." Banarsë added that we use these stories to process collective anxieties around love and loyalty. And when it comes to public judgment, we are quick to assign moral roles. "We flatten real people into characters to avoid confronting the ambiguity of human relationships," Banarsë said. The shift from celebrity to civilian scandal also adds to the impact. "When it's a regular couple at a concert, it taps into the voyeuristic thrill of unfiltered humanity," Banarsë added. A Perfect Storm for Virality Natalie Trice, publicist and founder of Natalie Trice Publicity, told Newsweek that this wasn't just a kiss-cam mishap. "This isn't some random 'kiss-cam' slip; it's high-profile theater on a global stage," Trice said. "When the big screen caught Andy Byron, CEO of the billion-dollar AI company Astronomer, alongside HR chief Kristin Cabot, the damage was immediate and public." Trice added that the moment had all the ingredients of a modern scandal. "What makes the perfect viral moment in 2025 is the trifecta: emotional charge and status drama and ambiguity," she said. Byron and Cabot's silence only fueled speculation. Trice said: "This moment had just enough mystery—Byron's silence, Cabot's shield, no statement from Astronomer—to keep users piecing it together. Fake apology tweets and parody posts only fueled the fire." Meme-Ready Moments and the Algorithm Ekaterina Voskoboynikova, senior global PR manager at 25/8 PR agency, told Newsweek that it wasn't just the act that went viral—it was the visual panic. "What made the 'CEO cheating at Coldplay' moment go viral wasn't just the act—it was the reaction," Voskoboynikova said. "Their panicked attempts to hide, the man's sudden shift in demeanor, and the woman's awkward hand movements created a visual story that begged to be interpreted. It was meme-ready in seconds." Voskoboynikova added that modern virality thrives on ambiguity. She argued it is less about cheating and more about how digital narratives are created from raw and emotive moments. Authenticity and the New Rules of Reputation Marketing expert Charlotte Sheridan, director at Quokka Agency UK, said that the story gained traction because it hit several social-media sweet spots. "It blends a lot of our favorite things—a meme-able image, a touch of schadenfreude, and, because of the senior positions of both parties involved, it makes people feel that they're not 'punching down,'" Sheridan told Newsweek. In today's online culture, dishonesty gets amplified. "In 2025, one of the biggest 'online crimes' seems to be not being honest and authentic," she said. "Cheating by definition is dishonest, so it's a big dog-whistle to social-media users," Sheridan added.


Newsweek
30 minutes ago
- Newsweek
What is Umamusume? The New Viral Horse Racing Game Explained
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Gamers around the globe are suddenly obsessed with horse racing — so much so that stables have reported an influx of visitors wanting to see the athletic animals and are receiving fodder donations from fans half a world away. The reason for the hype? A free-to-play game available on PC, iOS, and Android called Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Developed by Cygames, the title was originally released in Japan in February 2021 and only got a worldwide launch in late June 2025, becoming a viral hit more than four years after its debut. Horse girls racing in a cutscene from Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Horse girls racing in a cutscene from Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Cygames Umumamuse is a game about recruiting and training horses and then participating in races with them — only the "horses" are human girls with horse aspects, such as their ears and tails, which are called Umamusume — literally translating to "horse girl." It features anime-style visuals and allows players to interact and bond with their Umamusume to boost their confidence and abilities. It's essentially a horse racing management sim with some slice-of-life stories added on top. A crucial aspect of the game is that each available Umamusume is based on a real racehorse, which inspired their various abilities and personalities — the characters are not entirely fictional. This is why some stables are seeing a sudden increase in interest or fodder donations: Players want to come by and visit or at least feed the animals that their favorite Umamusume are based on. Horses with interesting stories such as Haru Urara or quirky personalities such as Gold Ship have proven themselves to be especially popular. Aside from the magnetic personalities of the Umamusume, the gameplay itself is a big draw. Its core roguelite gameplay loop of training characters and preparing them for the coming races is a lot of fun due to how easy it is to bond and empathize with them. This, in turn, makes the races – which players are doomed to watch without being able to influence what's happening – all the more thrilling. It's incredibly satisfying to watch one's Umamusume win a big race, knowing what she's been through and what goals and dreams are driving her forward. In a category dominated by big franchises that are churned out in annual iterations, Cygames' Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a massive surprise full of heart. It brings the joy of sports games to an audience that usually looks elsewhere for its entertainment and is getting fresh eyes on the world of horse racing.