Games Done Quick is heading to Gamescom 2026 for a new three-day speedrunning event, giving the charity marathon group its first hosted event in Europe.
Gamescom GDQ will run from August 28 to August 30, 2026 during the Cologne trade show. Programming is scheduled to begin each day at 10am CEST, which is 4am ET and 1am PT, and continue until around 8pm CEST, or 2pm ET and 11am PT.
Gamescom attendees will be able to watch the event live on-site, while viewers elsewhere can follow the marathon through Games Done Quick's official Twitch and YouTube channels. The full run schedule has not been announced yet.
Runner submissions open May 4 through the GDQ website. The timing gives European runners a more accessible GDQ stage than the organization's usual major events in the United States, especially for runners who have not been able to travel across the Atlantic.
"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."
The event will raise money for Gaming for Democracy, an initiative created with Bertelsmann Stiftung and Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur that supports civic engagement and democratic values through gaming culture. GDQ's wider charity record is already substantial, with more than $60 million raised for charities worldwide since 2010.
Gamescom and GDQ are pitching the crossover as both a live-show addition and a community event for speedrunning fans. Stefan Heikhaus, head of Gamescom & events at game, said the partnership highlights "the sense of community, the passion, the competition" around gaming, along with "creatively pushing the boundaries of the rules."
Gamescom GDQ now joins the 2026 calendar as a Europe-focused companion to GDQ's established winter and summer marathons. Awesome Games Done Quick benefits the Prevent Cancer Foundation, while Summer Games Done Quick raises money for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières.