What is AGDQ?
Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) is one of the world’s largest and most influential gaming charity events. Held annually, AGDQ is a week-long, 24/7 livestream where elite speedrunners complete video games as quickly as possible, raising millions of dollars for charity. The event attracts a massive global audience of gamers, creators, technologists, and curious viewers—many of whom tune in not just for the games, but also for the community, creativity, and culture.
AGDQ isn’t a niche corner of the internet. It’s a cultural moment—where technical skill, problem-solving, and deep curiosity take center stage.
That’s exactly why LabX is there.
01
Star Wars Battlefront II
Rise of the Empire — Any% (PC)
Scientist: Daniel Nagasawa
Speedrunning Star Wars: Battlefront II is all about exploiting systems at scale—AI behavior, map flow, and rapid decision-making under pressure. During this run, LabX featured Daniel Nagasawa, who connected the game’s large-scale chaos to how scientists think about complex systems in the real world.
Rather than treating science as abstract theory, this segment focused on how researchers analyze interconnected parts, predict outcomes, and adapt when systems don’t behave as expected—skills speedrunners and scientists share every day.
02
Bill Nye — Stop the Rock!
ASASP% (PC)
Scheduled LabX Science Block
A speedrun of Bill Nye: The Science Guy is inherently self-aware—and LabX leaned into that. Positioned just ahead of our dedicated science demonstration, this run set the tone: science doesn’t have to be distant, formal, or intimidating to be real.
This moment reinforced one of LabX’s core ideas at AGDQ: science belongs in spaces built around curiosity and play, not just classrooms and labs.
03
adef's Science Demonstration
This was LabX’s most direct integration into the AGDQ 2026 schedule.
Hosted by adef, the Science Demonstration brought live scientific thinking onto the main stage—designed specifically for the AGDQ audience. No slides. No lectures. Just clear, engaging exploration of how scientific reasoning works in practice.
The segment showed that the same mindset used to break games—testing hypotheses, controlling variables, learning from failure—is exactly how science advances.
04
Halo: Combat Evolved
Cursed Again — Any% (PC)
Scientist: Daniel Nagasawa
Cursed Halo runs deliberately break the game’s normal rules, forcing runners to adapt to unpredictable mechanics. That made it a natural fit for Daniel Nagasawa, who returned to discuss how scientists handle uncertainty when systems behave in unexpected ways.
This segment focused on experimentation under constraints—how researchers design tests, recognize patterns in noisy data, and keep pushing forward when outcomes aren’t clean or predictable.
05
MGS Δ: Snake Eater
Any% (European Extreme) + Bonus Category
Scientist: Dr. Ben Rein
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater is dense, strategic, and deeply system-driven—making it an ideal match for Dr. Ben Rein, a neuroscientist known for breaking down complex topics with clarity.
Across both the main run and bonus category, LabX highlighted how understanding human behavior, decision-making, and learning mirrors the way runners master intricate mechanics. This wasn’t about turning gameplay into a lecture—it was about showing how deeply analytical thinking shows up in both neuroscience and elite play.
06
Psychonauts 2
Any% (PC)
Scientist: Alison Klevens
Psychonauts 2 is a game that puts mental health front and center—exploring trauma, anxiety, identity, and emotional growth through imaginative worlds shaped by the mind. That made it a natural fit for Alison Klevens, whose work focuses on understanding people as whole humans, not just data points.
During this run, LabX used the game as a starting point for honest, accessible conversation about mental health: how scientists study it, why it’s complex, and why curiosity and empathy matter just as much as clinical definitions. Rather than simplifying or sensationalizing mental health, the segment emphasized something more important—that understanding the mind is an ongoing process, shaped by context, experience, and care.
Want to follow LabX at future AGDQs?
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