Flame Fatales 2024 Returns to Spotlight Women and Femme Speedrunners in Charity Event

The Frame Fatales speedrunning marathon will return this Sunday, marking a continued effort to uplift women and femme gamers within the philanthropic esports scene. Organized under the Games Done Quick (GDQ) umbrella, the initiative was established in 2019 to create a dedicated space for these players in a historically male-dominated competitive gaming community. Speedrunning has exploded in popularity over the last decade, transitioning from a niche online subculture into a major spectator draw through advanced strategies, glitches, and precise execution.

This week-long edition, titled Flame Fatales, runs from September 13 through September 19 and benefits the Malala Fund. Co-founded in 2013 by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and her father, Ziauddin, the organization champions the right of every girl to receive 12 years of free, safe, and quality education, funding local educators and advocates in regions where girls face the greatest obstacles to attending school. Since its first event in May 2019, the Frame Fatales initiative has raised more than $1 million for various charitable organizations.

The community hosts two major events each year: Frost Fatales during the winter months and Flame Fatales in the summer. This upcoming summer edition marks a continued partnership with the Malala Fund. Unlike Games Done Quick’s flagship biannual marathons, which broadcast continuously for 24 hours a day over the course of a week, Flame Fatales utilizes a structured daily schedule.

The entire marathon will be broadcast live on Games Done Quick’s official Twitch and YouTube channels, which regularly draw tens of thousands of concurrent viewers. The event kicks off on September 13 at 12:30 p.m. ET, with subsequent days starting at 1:00 p.m. ET and concluding around midnight. Games Done Quick, founded in 2010 by Mike Uyama, has raised more than $40 million for global charities since its inception, including Doctors Without Borders and the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

The schedule features more than 50 individual game demonstrations, showcasing a wide variety of genres, eras, and playstyles. A Monday night showcase scheduled for approximately 8:00 p.m. ET will feature a “70 Star” race of *Super Mario 64 (Rogue Chaos Edition)*. This modified version of the classic Nintendo 64 platformer introduces randomized positive or negative gameplay modifiers every time a runner acquires a star, key, or cap switch, forcing players to adapt on the fly.

On Wednesday at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET, the marathon will feature a lockout bingo race in *Animal Crossing: New Horizons*, a competitive format where players race to complete specific in-game objectives arranged on a grid. The final day of the event, September 19, features a lineup that includes a showcase of the highly anticipated *Hollow Knight: Silksong* and culminates in a high-speed completion of BioWare’s science-fiction role-playing game *Mass Effect 3*. Through spin-off events like Flame Fatales, the organization continues to diversify its community representation while leveraging the global reach of live-streaming to support humanitarian efforts worldwide.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — The biannual speedrunning marathon Frame Fatales is set to return this Sunday, highlighting the growing role of women and femme gamers in the philanthropic esports landscape.