SGDQ 2026 Launches with a Rare DKC2 102% Run

A full 102% speedrun of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest doesn't show up at Games Done Quick very often. Today it's the opening act. Summer Games Done Quick 2026 kicked off this morning from Minneapolis, Minnesota, with runner Ryan Ford tackling the complete game on SNES, Lost World and all, with a target time of 1 hour 38 minutes.

DKC2 has appeared at GDQ events before and has even opened the marathon in the past, but according to the event schedule, this is the first time in recent memory a full 102% completion run has been featured. For a game widely considered one of the best platformers of the 16-bit era, seeing every stage, every bonus coin, and every DK coin cleared at speed is a treat that the any% categories just can't replicate. I'm glad they gave it the opening slot instead of burying it mid-week.

The rest of Day 1 is stacked. Highlights include the mainline GDQ debut of Kirby Air Riders on Switch 2 with runner Bluekandy blazing through all tracks, a Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition run on PS5, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in Luck Mode on Xbox 360, and a head-to-head Spyro: Year of the Dragon race across PS2 and PC. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is also on the card, running on Switch 2 in a Blue Lions NG+ route with a 1 hour 22 minute estimate. Late-night viewers get a co-op run of Absolum and a Snowboard Kids race on N64.

As always, the marathon is raising money for Doctors Without Borders and streaming live on both Twitch and YouTube. SGDQ 2026 runs through Saturday, July 11.