Hello there!

The games of the second edition of **Run Arena** have been revealed this Friday. Let's discover them and the categories chosen for the event:

![](/static/blob/qzpp73rz.png)

### Bloody Hell - NMG Any%

Bloody Hell is a top-down shooter about an Angel on a Bloody Bullet-hell mission to kill Satan! During your journey in hell, you will acquire some different upgrades to become stronger.

In the category, you must beat the final boss God. The "Machine Gun" glitch is not allowed.

### Katana ZERO - All Stages

Katana ZERO is a stylish neo-noir, action-platformer featuring breakneck action and instant-death combat. Slash, dash, and manipulate time to unravel your past in a beautifully brutal acrobatic display.

In the category, you must do the 11 stages to obtain the standard ending of the game.

## Paperball - Intermediate

Paperball is a rolling game with a ball of paper. You navigate tricky passages, pull off crazy stunts and maybe fall off a lot!

In the category, you must complete the 30 levels of the Intermediate stages.

## Skator Gator 3D - Any% Glitchless

Skator Gator 3D is a 3D platformer with some skating on pipelines! You need to stop the mayor from polluting the swamp in a short adventure!

In the category, you must beat the game's 13 story levels and beat the final boss as quickly as possible. Glitches are not allowed.

### Grapple Dog - World 1

Grapple Dog is a 2D action-platformer with an amazing tool: the Grapple. You can jump, swing and zip your way through colourful levels.

In the category, you must complete all 6 regular stages in World 1 from a completed game file.

That's all for the games! The five games cost $30 for the moment. If you want to try some of them without purchasing, Bloody Hell is free, Paperball and Skator Gator 3D have a demo. You will find other informations about Run Arena on our website: [https://www.run-arena.com/](https://www.run-arena.com/)

Let's have fun on competitive speedrun!

The second edition started this Friday, October 25th with the reveal of the five new games

Run Arena #2: The games have been released!

# Silent Hill 2 Remake Speedrun 

## Open Speedrun Tournament: November 16th - 17th

Calling all Fog Runners! Brace yourselves for a chillingly competitive event as the **Silent Hill 2 Remake Speedrun Tournament** descends upon us next month. This two-day tournament, hosted by prominent speedrunner Sneevil, welcomes all runners, novice and seasoned alike, to navigate the twisted streets of Silent Hill and compete for a slice of the $1,000 prize pool.

## Embrace the Fog and Find your Wife

- **Open Submission:** Submit your attempts in the **PC Any% New Game Restricted Standard** category.
- **Top 12 Qualify:** The twelve fastest runners during the submission period will clash in the live tournament finale.
- **Crowdfunded Glory:**  The initial $200 prize pot set by Sneevil and boosted by Roxas, has swelled to a thrilling $1,000, distributed among the top four finishers.
- **Join the Competition or Fuel the Fog:** Head to the [Matcherino page](https://matcherino.com/tournaments/133376) to contribute to the prize pool.
- **Stay Tuned:** Join the official tournament [Discord server](https://discord.gg/x8F4yuEVtZ) for updates, announcements, and run submissions.

## Eligibility:

- **Open to All:** This is an inclusive tournament; anyone can participate. The top 12 runners in the chosen category will be invited to compete.
- **Livestreaming is Mandatory:** All runs must be live-streamed on Twitch, YouTube, or a similar platform. Tournament participation also requires livestreaming on Twitch on the designated days. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

**Submission Deadline:** Runs must be submitted via [Discord's #submissions channel](https://discord.gg/MGW2rrVFVz) by Thursday, November 14th, 11:59 PM EST. Submitting only your personal best highlight, not the entire VOD, is encouraged.

- **Respect the Deadline:** Late submissions will not be accepted to ensure smooth scheduling and bracket creation. Consider submitting your runs to Speedrun.com as well.
- **Stay Connected:** Monitor your Discord and email for updates and respond promptly to DMs, especially as the tournament nears.

## Category:

PC Any% New Game Restricted Standard: Only PC runs are eligible, with end times determined by LiveSplit.

## Rules

- **[Speedrun.com](https://www.speedrun.com/sh2_2024?h=any-pc-standard-restricted&rules=category&x=wdmjg8xd-onv50yrl.lmo40rm1-0nwmv308.q8k0n43q-ylpy0kvl.qox36xxq) Compliance:** All runs must adhere to the category rules and eligibility criteria on Speedrun.com. Rule violations may lead to disqualification.
- **Adapting to Change:** The SH2R speedrun category on Speedrun.com may undergo revisions. Stay tuned on Discord for updates on rule changes and their impact on the tournament. Sneevil will strive to accommodate both changes and runner needs.

## Commitment is Key:

- **Two-Day Availability:** All participants must be available on both tournament days. Sudden unavailability necessitates immediate notification of Sneevil for a possible replacement.
- **Tournament Brackets Subject to Change:** Sneevil aims for 12 participants, but may adjust to include 10 or 8 if necessary. The focus is on participation, fostering competition, and pushing the boundaries of the speedrun.

## The Tournament Schedule:

**November 16th Day 1: Quarter Finals (QF) 12pm - 8pm EST:**

- (QF) Round 1: 4 Runners Down to 2
- (QF) Round 2: 4 Runners Down to 2
- (QF) Round 3: 4 Runners Down to 2

**November 17th Day 2: Semi-Finals (SF) and Finals (F) 12pm - 8pm EST:**

- (SF) Round 4: 3 Runners Down to 2
- (SF) Round 5: 3 Runners Down to 2
- (F) Round 6: Top 4 Runners from Semi-Finals

## Prize Pool Distribution:

- 1st Place - 60% of Prize Pool
- 2nd Place - 25% of Prize Pool
- 3rd Place - 10% of Prize Pool
- 4th Place - 5% of Prize Pool

Sneevil invites all participants to join this tournament, not only for the thrill of speedrunning but also for the friendly competitive spirit it fosters. Whether you qualify or not, enjoy the experience and strive to improve your times.

Silent Hill 2 Remake Speedrun Open Speedrun Tournament

Hello speedrunners! Nitro Speedrun and I are proud to announce that Run Arena is back for a second edition. Starting in less than a week, on Friday, October 25th, with the reveal of the new games, and concluding on December 1st with the finals!

## **PRESENTATION**

A brief introduction: Run Arena is a multi-game speedrun competition featuring five PC games over five weeks. Everyone is welcome; you just need to acquire the games, which will cost around $30 for this edition. The competition can be played individually, in teams, or both.

The unique feature of this competition is that each run on a game earns you points based on your time. The standings are determined by the total points from the different games, not by the total time. It’s similar to the Track & Field’s decathlon, in sport, or the Ultimate Decathlon, in speedrun, for example.

## **HISTORY**

Six months ago, over 40 participants took part in the first edition. [SuperLinkGod](https://www.speedrun.com/users/superlinkgod) won all the individual competitions and the overall standings, while his team, THE GHOST MASTERS, with [GHOSTDEATH](https://www.speedrun.com/users/GHOSTDEATH), [Molga](https://www.speedrun.com/users/molga), and himself, won the team competition. You can watch the finals here (sorry, it's in French, but we hope to have English casters and restream for this edition)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX6_BGA2IG8

For this second edition, the reveal of the games will be broadcast in English on [Nitro_Speedrun_En](https://www.twitch.tv/nitro_speedrun_EN) and in French on [Nitro Speedrun](https://www.twitch.tv/nitro_speedrun) at **8 PM CEST (2 PM EST) on Friday, October 25th.**

## **PRIZES**

Each competition will have its own prize pool. The total initial prize pool is **$500**. We will share the distribution details on a new Matcherino page soon, which is still under construction.

## **OTHER INFORMATION**

More information will be available with the reveal, but you can already join the action! The [Nitro Speedrun Discord](https://discord.com/invite/X3JFEr6Gen) will be the place to get all the updated information. [The Run Arena website](https://www.run-arena.com/) is already available, and all the functionalities needed for this event will be accessible at the beginning of the competition.

We hope you’re excited for this adventure, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Run Arena is a multi-game speedrun competition featuring five PC games over five weeks.

Run Arena: Edition 2

## No Holidays Allowed 2024

**No Holidays Allowed 2024** is a charity event presented by the **No Glitches Allowed** team that is dedicated to "anything goes" speedruns or showcases!


Do you have a glitched run, a glitchless run, maybe a commentated TAS you want to show off? Then this event is for you!
If you have a race you want to do - or even a multiworld of your favorite games mashed together? Then this event is for you!
We welcome runners of *pretty much all* games, to join us for our winter event!



**- Submissions Link:** [https://oengus.io/marathon/noha2024](https://oengus.io/marathon/noha2024)

**- Submissions** are open from **October 1st - October 31st, 2024 at 11:59PM Eastern Time.**

**- No Holidays Allowed 2024** will take place **December 4th - December 8th, 2024**

**-** The exact start times and length of each day's broadcast are subject to the submissions volume.

**-** All runners are required to abide by the No Glitches Allowed Code of Conduct: [https://noglitchesallowed.org/coc](https://noglitchesallowed.org/coc)



## Charity - Go Rescue Pet Adoption Center

This year, No Holidays Allowed 2024 and the No Glitches Allowed team is proud to announce our continued support for Go Rescue Pet Adoption Center located in Norfolk, VA.

Go Rescue Pet Adoption Center is a **NO KILL** animal shelter located in Norfolk, VA.
Since 2011, GO Rescue works to provide a haven for homeless dogs, giving them the time, care and love they need to find not just any home, but the right home.

Learn more about Go Rescue Pet Adoption Center here: https://www.gorescuedogs.com/



## Volunteering

We are always in need of volunteers! We have positions available for all types of roles, so whether you'd like to get on the mic as a host, work behind the scenes in tech, or engage with folks through our social media, we have a spot available for you! We also have opportunities for you to shadow specific roles and get started in learning the ropes for certain positions. All experience levels are welcome, so if this is your first time volunteering for an event, we would love to have you! All positions include:

- Commentary Buddy
- Hosting
- Restreaming
- Setup
- Tech Checking
- Social Media
- Chat Mods
- Flex

Interested in volunteering? Apply here: [https://forms.gle/eEQmGdJMKzWTHoXGA](https://forms.gle/eEQmGdJMKzWTHoXGA)

**Volunteer applications close at the same time as run submissions, on October 31st, 2024 at 11:59PM Eastern US Time.**
Descriptions of volunteer roles can be found on the application form, all volunteers are required to abide by the No Glitches Allowed Code of Conduct:[ https://noglitchesallowed.org/coc]( https://noglitchesallowed.org/coc)

No Holidays Allowed 2024 is a charity event presented by the No Glitches Allowed Team dedicated to "anything goes" speedruns or showcases! More info in the post!

No Holidays Allowed 2024 (SUBMISSIONS OPEN & DESCRIPTION)!

# The Gold Split Newsletter - Week #15

The Gold Split offers a free, weekly digest of news from the world of speedrunning and beyond.

This ***Story of the Week*** is all about *The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom* and was featured in this week's issue. The full post includes **more news**, briefly, as well as this week's top times and a fun fact. Check it out **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-15)**.

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/wzxxw3qz.png)

## Story of the Week

The *Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom* has only been out for two weeks, but it already looks too good to ignore. Let’s take a look at what the speedruns for this game might shape up to be. One major spoiler will be indicated as such, and I did my best to avoid them wherever possible.

### Basic Game Mechanics

In *Echoes of Wisdom,* you’re playing as *Zelda*, finally. But instead of using a sword, shield, bombs and other weapons, *Zelda* wields the *Tri Rod*. This rod allows you to pick up “Echoes” of items or enemies and conjure them again. You may summon a bed to rest and heal, fight your enemies with an army of *Keese*, use floating platforms to fly high in the air or warp to wherever you please by using signs... but we’ll get to that.

Often, the first instinct will have players stack as many objects as possible in order to try to get on top of things which present insurmountable boundaries in other top-down *Zelda* games, like treetops or rocky cliffs. And instead of using invisible walls to prevent you, the game will simply let you do that, which is genius. It creates the illusion of outsmarting the game, when in reality, you’re still playing within its rules. You’re granted plenty of freedom, but no sequence breaks… or are you?

### Tech & Glitches

Speedrunners are infamously persistent and regularly find optimisations and new strategies for games that are decades old. For *Echoes of Wisdom*, it really only took a few days to blow the game wide open. Players very quickly found ways to gain more vertical height than intended and discovered ways to speed up their movement through the world. For example, holding a piece of meat, conjuring a bird and locking the bird with your companion will have the bird push you sideways and slightly upwards through the air, as in some impossible carrot-and-donkey situation.

Better techniques also soon emerged. For example, placing a bed, getting onto it and summoning a specific enemy echo on the opposite side will catapult both Zelda and the bed at high speed. You can trigger this again in mid-air, chaining multiple boosts together and travelling very quickly.

But the major one I want to focus on today, the splitter of categories, is of course: the **W̵̢̋r̴̮̩͝o̵̳̓̽n̶͙̯̓͝g̷̞̒͠ ̴͉̟̾̓W̷̺͝ḁ̷̩͌͠r̸̻̍̔p̵͎̜̏̐**. Wrong warping in general describes teleporting to a different point than normally possible. And often, the system that allows wrong warps in the first place can be tinkered with to get a desired result. And that’s exactly the case in *Echoes of Wisdom*.

All this is enabled through a glitch called ***Pause Storage***. It enables playing the game while the pause menu, map menu or inventory menu is opened. The terms *Map Storage* or *Inventory Storage* are used as well, but I’m going to stick to *Pause Storage* as I believe it includes all variations.

Players can enter this glitched state by interacting with a signboard near a void-out area and quickly opening the *Echo* menu during the void-out. Void-out triggers are placed around areas or at heights that the developers considered too far away from where the player should be. The screen will go black briefly and place them a short distance away from the forbidden area.

Once the glitch is active, selecting a waypoint but not confirming the warp, opening a second map instance, and then confirming, the game will send *Zelda* to a different waypoint than the one originally selected, potentially even one that was previously undiscovered. Then, using an additional manipulation and entering a dungeon (which also has waypoints) in the glitched state before teleporting, players can teleport to a waypoint inside a dungeon with the same index as the waypoint they initially chose on the world map. In the current *Any%* route, this allows a *Wrong Warp* straight into the final dungeon of the game. Here’s a great video by @loohhoo explaining it, and this is where I’ll need to put the big fat

# **SPOILER WARNING**

# https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfP65w0gq54

### Leaderboards & Durations

[The leaderboards](https://www.speedrun.com/eow) will open **TODAY**. There are still a few open questions about category names, which ones will be present and some rules, but most of them are set and this is what we can expect:

- **Any%**: No-holds-barred and wrong warping to your heart’s content. As of now, runs are already clocking in at under 40 minutes.
- ***Any% (No Wrong Warp)***: The name might change, but the category won’t allow wrong warping, and might even be mostly glitchless, focusing on playing the game as intended. With the rules still up in the air, it’s hard to estimate a solid time for this category just yet, but around four hours might be a good guess.
- **All Dungeons**: Completing all dungeons. This category might be split into a restricted and an unrestricted variant, but it’s still to be decided what *completing* a dungeon actually means. Unrestricted runs will probably soon be faster than two hours.
- **100%**: Do and collect all the things! It’ll be a long one.
- A category that will end at a rough half-way point of the game

One more thing that needs to be decided is whether or not the use of amiibos will be allowed. Amiibos can grant smoothie ingredients as well as outfits. It’s likely that the leaderboards are open by the time you read this and you’ll find the final categories as well as the rules right there.

### Conclusion

#### With how fast speedruns are changing in the early days of a game’s lifecycle, everything I have written might already be outdated tomorrow. I still think it was worth exploring, learning about it, and giving an early overview of the situation. I expect *Pause Storage* and wrong warping to still be relevant in the future, so this also makes it easier to come back to it at a later point.

#### 

If you’re looking for people attempting speedruns of *Echoes of Wisdom* RIGHT NOW, look no further than **[HERE](https://www.speedrun.com/eow/streams)** on the game’s Speedrun.com page.

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/rz251jdz.png)

Thank you for reading! If you're curious about more of this week's news or would even consider subscribing to the newsletter, you'll find the full post over **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-15)**.

Finding new stories to cover can be challenging. I encourage you to think about what happened recently in the communities you are a part of. If there are any stories, articles, glitches, events, or other topics I should be taking a look at, go ahead and **[submit them here](https://forms.gle/F1VJ4PG68FTZKqn49)** or in the **[Gold Split Discord](https://discord.gg/SpbFCgsYkU)**! 📨

The Gold Split is a free weekly newsletter focused on speedrunning. This week's main story is all about The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

The Gold Split #15 - Signs of Wrong Warps

Before we start, here are a few notes about my thought process in creating this list:

- There are SO many amazing games on the games list that if I wanted to include every single one of them in this list it would be far too long - so we’re gonna keep it pretty limited and [I suggest you comb over the schedule yourself](https://gamesdonequick.com/schedule/53) to know what runs to look out for!
- Of course, this is all personal opinion, completely biased by my experiences - so keep that in mind!
- Runs will be listed in alphabetical order because I don’t think prioritizing any of them is particularly fair before the event - and you should form your own opinions regardless, this list is just recommending some runs for you to keep an eye out for :)

Also, each game and runner will be hyperlinked :) Alright, let's dig in!

## **[The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom](https://www.speedrun.com/eow) | Any% by[ ](https://www.speedrun.com/users/Jaxler)[gymnast86](https://www.speedrun.com/users/gymnast86)**

## ![](/static/blob/oeog99jn.png)

The latest release in the Zelda series is already under an hour and filled with skip goodness. The echoes mechanic alone is designed with creativity in mind and boy are speedrunners creative. I have yet to watch the full route for this run, but I do know that the majority of the game's dungeons are skipped - and that’s all I needed to hear before wanting to see more.

## **[Elden Ring](https://www.speedrun.com/eldenring) | Defeat Consort by[ ](https://www.speedrun.com/users/Jaxler)[mitchriz](https://www.speedrun.com/users/Mitchriz)**

## ![](/static/blob/3ekxkk5n.png)

I’ve written about Elden Ring a few times in past articles, and also mitchriz (remember that blindfolded Sekiro run? Amazing.) So naturally, mitchriz running the latest Elden Ring DLC is also an insta-watch for me. From what I gather, this run will be done glitchless so there won’t be and wild zips or anything like that - but instead optimized build creation and brutal combat and I’m here for it.

## **[Payday 3](https://www.speedrun.com/pd3) | 2p Co-op Showcase by[ ](https://www.speedrun.com/users/Jaxler)[MetroidCrime](https://www.speedrun.com/users/MetroidCrime) & [IndyVillain](https://www.speedrun.com/users/IndyVillain)**

Payday 3 co-op speedruns are pure efficiency bliss. To add on top of that, MetroidCrime and IndyVillain will be collecting all loot while *also* in full stealth. I’m interested to see how this goes in a marathon setting, but I’m sure Metroid and Indy will put on a good showcase!

![](/static/blob/xz05pp1n.png)

## **Pump It Up Phoenix | Showcase by[ ](https://www.speedrun.com/users/Jaxler)[ZELLLOOO](https://www.speedrun.com/users/ZELLLOOO)**

![](/static/blob/kzwr00je.png)

Ever heard of Pump It Up Phoneix? Neither had I before a few months ago when I met ZELLLOOO at Quakecon for our Modern DOOM Speedrunning mini-marathon. If you’re like me, you’ve had *some* experience with arcade dance machines across your lifetime but only ever in a casual setting. ZELLLOOO however, is a completely different beast. He ranks *very* near the top of the global leaderboards - and while this is not actually a speedrun - his feet **WILL** be moving near the speed of light.

## **[Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut](https://www.speedrun.com/sadx) | Small Stories K.A.G. by[ ](https://www.speedrun.com/users/Jaxler)[Risuruuu](https://www.speedrun.com/users/Risuruuu)**

## ![](/static/blob/xzd4ll9z.png)

This caught my eye because the SADX:DC relay run was one of the highlights of SGDQ 2023 in which they each played a single story before passing it along to the next runner. The “small stories” category is new to me as of reviewing these submissions, but a more condensed SADX stories-based speedrun sounds like its going to be awesome.

## **[Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus](https://www.speedrun.com/w2) | Any% (Cutscene Skip) by[ ](https://www.speedrun.com/users/Jaxler)[anarchyasf](https://www.speedrun.com/users/anarchyasf)**

## ![](/static/blob/1n57qqve.png)

Wolfenstein 2 is an amazing speedgame with one crippling downside - SUPER long cutscenes with a load of additional downtime. I’m so excited that anarchy has started with cutscene skip in the last months and I hope one day to see a version that could be leaderboard viable - but either way, this is definitely going to be a run you want to check out!

## **Additionally..**

I debated adding this in at all for fear of this article being seen as a self-advertisment - but I *also* got a speedrun into DRDQ! You can catch me clipping through walls and boosting cross-map in the 2016 reboot of DOOM this Friday!


## ![](/static/blob/1n73yy5e.png)

# **Conclusion**

Disaster Relief Done Quick starts this Friday over at [https://www.twitch.tv/gamesdonequick](https://www.twitch.tv/gamesdonequick) - check out the schedule [here](https://gamesdonequick.com/schedule/53)!

The games list for SGDQ 2024 is now live! Let’s dive in. https://gamesdonequick.com/schedule/53

DRDQ Schedule Out Now!

# The Gold Split Newsletter - Week #14

The Gold Split offers a free, weekly digest of news from the world of speedrunning and beyond.

This ***Spotlight*** is all about speedrunning Microsoft Excel and was featured in this week's issue. The full post includes **more news**, briefly, as well as this week's top times and a fun fact. Check it out **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-14)**.

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/wzxxw3qz.png)

## Spotlight: ExcelObstacleCourse

This week we’re taking a break from console differences, glitches, and even categories. It’s all about raw numbers, accuracy, and execution. If you frequent the r/speedrun subreddit, you will probably have come across a post by the person in the spotlight today: ***[ExcelObstacleCourse](https://linktr.ee/excelobstaclecourse)***

As the name might suggest, they’re all about spreadsheets in general, and *Excel* especially, and have found a unique niche in speedrunning puzzles and obstacles created in the beloved spreadsheet software.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kts6EPR97HE

***ExcelObstacleCourse*** is a data scientist, self-proclaimed *Excel* junkie, and old-school gamer, who started their gaming journey with the first Nintendo consoles, playing games like *F-Zero*, *Mario Kart*, *Super Punch Out* and *Blast Corps*, always trying to beat their previous records.

They combined their job with the hobby of going fast and pushing boundaries for the first time 15 years ago:

> The idea to speedrun *Excel* came from a training "*Excel* obstacle course" I came up with about 15 years ago to teach people *Excel* shortcuts at work. We had everyone practice and compete in a conference room at the end of 30 days with gift cards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd spot. Everyone got faster at *Excel* and had a great time at the competition.

Quite different from older games, *Excel* is constantly evolving and has received many changes over the years. But any necessary adjustments were always a welcome challenge, and by now, *ExcelObstacleCourse* feels like they have mastered all the basic keyboard commands and practice them regularly to solve the challenges they create. Just like 15 years ago, their main motivation is still for more people to pick up the craft and potentially even beat their records.

Currently, they keep track of basic leaderboards and a library of videos on their *Discord*, and anybody wanting to join can simply message them (there will be some links below). Despite all efforts, *[Speedrun.com](https://www.speedrun.com/)* has so far rejected implementing leaderboards for *Excel*, with the reason being that it’s “not a game”. But in my opinion, this would only hold up if the site didn’t also host IRL activities like [reading](https://www.speedrun.com/IRL_Reading) and [baking](https://www.speedrun.com/IRL_Baking). There’s an insane number of games without a single run on their leaderboards, and if there’s space for those there should also be space for an active yet small community around standardized *Excel* puzzles.

Some of you might be familiar with competitive *Excel* in the form of the *[Financial Modelling World Cup](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2QC6VQXo8U)*. I asked *ExcelObstacleCourse* how the necessary skillset differs from speedrunning the puzzles and whether or not they ever considered competing:

> This differs from the Financial Modeling competition because it involves no financial knowledge, no formula writing, just basic hotkeys and Alt-commands to 'clean' or 'transform' data. I would say it benefits data analysts of all types, as well as 'processors' who grind spreadsheets and small data daily. I have no plans to compete in the *FMWC*, but I haven't researched too much into it.

By now, I’m certain that many of you can’t wait to launch *Excel* and improve your skills or even pick up the obstacle course speedruns. You’re in luck because *ExcelObstacleCourse* has a few great videos on their *[YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@ExcelObstacleCourse)*[ channel](https://www.youtube.com/@ExcelObstacleCourse) to help with just that. If you do give it a shot, tag them, and you’ll likely get a shoutout back!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-PeVdBXjsA

Thank you again to *ExcelObstacleCourse* for readily answering my questions! You can find them on **[TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@excelobstaclecourse)**, where most of their livestreams take place, as well as on **[YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@ExcelObstacleCourse)** and **[other platforms](https://linktr.ee/excelobstaclecourse)**.

![](https://www.speedrun.com/static/blob/rz251jdz.png)

Thank you for reading! If you're curious about more of this week's news or would even consider subscribing to the newsletter, you'll find the full post over **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-14)**.

Finding new stories to cover can be challenging. I encourage you to think about what happened recently in the communities you are a part of. If there are any stories, articles, glitches, events, or other topics I should be taking a look at, go ahead and **[submit them here](https://forms.gle/F1VJ4PG68FTZKqn49)** or in the **[Gold Split Discord](https://discord.gg/SpbFCgsYkU)**! 📨

The Gold Split is a free weekly newsletter focused on speedrunning. This week's main story is all about... Microsoft Excel.

The Gold Split #14 - Spreadsheets

Here’s everything you’ll want to know heading into the challenge:

**Starting Date:** October 4th, 2024 @ 12:00PM UTC

**Duration:** 9 days, until 11:59PM UTC October 13th, 2024

## **Prize Distribution:**

The $750 prize pool will be distributed among the top performers for fastest completion time in the Initiate category. The distribution is as follows:

**1st place** - $300

**2nd place** - $150

**3rd place** - $100

**4th place** - $100

**5th place** - $100

Please note that in order to comply with international tax law, **the challenge cash prize may be subject to tax withholding based on the winner's country of residence.**

## **Participation Prizes:**

As usual with our SRC Series Challenges, we are bringing back participation prizes!

![](/static/blob/qzp7mmwz.png)

First of all, any runner who submits any runs to the Titanfall 2 Speedrun Challenge will receive **one month** of SRC Supporter, if you haven’t heard of Supporter before you may learn more about it[ here](https://www.speedrun.com/supporter)!

Secondly, any challenge participants will be awarded with the title “**Pilot**”. If you’re unfamiliar with Titles, they are a unique descriptor that goes alongside your username on your profile (as well as profile popovers) which can (as of right now) only be acquired by participating in Challenges right here on SRC. To find out more, check out our last article about Titles![ https://www.speedrun.com/news/17vr795x-introducing-titles](https://www.speedrun.com/news/17vr795x-introducing-titles)

## **Eligibility:**

Open to players aged 18 and above worldwide, with the following exceptions: North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Cuba, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela.

If you are under the age of 18, not to worry! You can still participate and win the participation prizes, but unfortunately you will not be eligible for the cash prizes amongst the top 5.

## **Category:**

The category of choice will be revealed shortly before the launch of the challenge!

## **Submission:**

Record your speedrun and submit it via [our Challenge leaderboard here on Speedrun.com.](https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/64y623rv-titanfall_2-src-series-titanfall-2-helmet-rush-speedrun-challenge)

Follow the guidelines provided for video formatting and submission requirements, found in the rules section. Please note that a new requirement has been added to this challenge, requiring that prize eligible runs must have been live streamed.

## **Rules and Regulations:**

All speedruns must adhere to the official rules, available on the Speedrun.com Challenge leaderboard.

Contest Rules: [https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/64y623rv-titanfall_2-src-series-titanfall-2-speedrun-challenge/rules?view=contest](https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/64y623rv-titanfall_2-src-series-titanfall-2-speedrun-challenge/rules?view=contest)

Category Rules: [https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/64y623rv-titanfall_2-src-series-titanfall-2-speedrun-challenge/rules?view=challenge](https://www.speedrun.com/challenges/64y623rv-titanfall_2-src-series-titanfall-2-speedrun-challenge/rules?view=challenge) 

## **Preparation Suggestions**

To find tips & tricks for the speedrun, visit [the Titanfall 2 leaderboard right here on Speedrun.com](https://www.speedrun.com/titanfall_2?h=All_Helmets_NCS&x=wdmr5r3k) and/or join [Titanfall 2 Speedrunning Discord Server](https://discord.gg/P3JKjfx4uZ)!  You can also follow either the game or the challenge to receive notifications about challenge activity!

**Good luck, and have fun!️**


Heads up, pilots - I mean speedrunners! It’s time to announce our next SRC Series challenge game for the month of October - Titanfall 2!

SRC Series: Titanfall 2 Speedrun Challenge!

# The Gold Split Newsletter - Week #13

The Gold Split offers a free, weekly digest of news from the world of speedrunning and beyond.

This ***Story of the Week*** is all about the new *Low%* route in *The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker* and was featured in this week's issue. The full post includes **more news**, briefly, as well as this week's top times and a fun fact. Check it out **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-13)**.

![](/static/blob/wzxxw3qz.png)

## Story of the Week

Most of the time, new discoveries make a speedrun go faster and that makes sense. However, runners of the ***Low%*** category must feel a little bit anxious about them. The goal of *Low%* is to beat the game while completing the fewest objectives and acquiring the least number of items possible.

And in this reference frame, a new discovery could mean the obvious: saving time through a new trick or a route change. But it could also mean that another objective and/or item became redundant in order to beat the game and therefore needs to be eliminated. And only acquiring as few items as absolutely necessary is the ultimate requirement of *Low%*.

An infamous example of the lengths that *Low%* runners have to go to is *The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess*. It was found that the idle animation while picking up an item is missing a frame. And that missing frame moves Link ever so slightly in one direction while ignoring collision with anything. By picking up a rupee in a certain spot close to a closed gate or door, Link will very slowly start moving into it over the course of the next few hours. This strategy is called a *Rupee Slide* and takes up **over** **ten hours** of the game’s current *Low%* route. These images were taken from [Anorakkis' former record](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB26JegZ1Bo):

![Two screenshots from the game Twilight Princess side by side. The left shows Link in front of a door in the Rupee pickup animation, the right screenshot shows the same Link, but now slightly clipped inside the door after ten hours have passed](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F486bd9df-fef2-4a27-9379-449aa168aad7_3018x1026.jpeg)
Left: Before the Rupee Slide | Right: After the Rupee Slide

After that introduction, these are the news: let’s say (hypothetically), that it was assumed that nine items were absolutely necessary to beat a game and that it couldn’t be done with fewer. This run would take roughly one hour, not too different from *Any%*. But now, a new discovery makes one of these items redundant. It is now possible to finish the game with eight items. Even if that run is infinitely more complicated and takes **13 hours** to complete, it is now the new *Low%* standard and also the new record.

This is exactly what happened recently to ***The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker***, and so far Swiss speedrunner ***[Aloakirby](https://www.twitch.tv/aloakirby)*** is the only person to complete a run with the new route. It took them just a little over 20 hours, but the run also includes a good seven hours of healthy sleep.

The item that is now no longer necessary is *The Wind Waker*, a conductor's baton giving *Link* various powers when conducting the right songs, not too dissimilar from the *Ocarina of Time*. But more importantly, it was also used to set up glitches and make other tricks more consistent. This is a full list of items acquired during *Low%* now, at the time of writing:

- Bombs
- Bomb Bag (30)
- Deku Leaf
- Magic Meter
- Master Sword
- Hero's Shield
- Fully Charged Master Sword
- Mirror Shield

This makes the entire run way more complicated, longer, and reliant on RNG. Due to a lack of space and… well… knowledge, I can’t go into full details, but here are a few of the resulting consequences that stand out. I’ll link the speedrun after explaining the three glitches and add a timestamp for each of them.

### **All *Superswims* have to be performed manually**

Superswimming is the speedrunner’s preferred way to traverse the ocean. Simply put, it enables *Link* to swim backwards, and extremely fast. With *The Wind Waker*, players were able to perform a glitch called *Dry Storage*, making *Superswims* consistent and relatively easy to perform. But without this crucial item, they now have to set up each *Superswim* by using one of the following options, or a combination:

- Executing frame-perfect pause-buffering (pausing, unpausing, and immediately pausing again on the next frame) and changing *Link’s* direction on every pause
- Changing *Link’s* direction by 180° on every frame by flicking the joystick **30 times per second** (the game runs at 30 frames per second)

Performed in the run at: **[39:25](https://youtu.be/8T-42gsjGbQ?t=2365)**

Speedrunner ***[gymnast86](https://www.youtube.com/@gymnast86)*** has a great video on the evolution of the *Superswim*, and there’s no better time to watch it than right now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o32bxtKtXxM

### The run now includes a 1-hour long *Zombie Hover*

A *Zombie Hover* allows *Link* to theoretically gain infinite height and also some horizontal movement, while having no health. This sounds great on paper, but there’s two downsides:

1. Unless *Link* manages to land in a loading zone or increase their health, they will just die as soon as they touch land or water.
2. It is necessary to hit the B-button many times per second throughout the entire duration. The faster you can hit that button, the more height you gain. If you don’t hit it fast enough, you lose height.

Despite being able to pause and take breaks, doing this for over an hour is incredibly physically demanding, and nothing any doctor would recommend as a workout. To make matters worse, at the end of this particular *Zombie Hover*, a frame-perfect trick is required to achieve the desired result. *Link* needs to land in the water to be teleported to the upper entrance of Forest Haven, but also needs to pick up a heart on land just before. But if *Link* touches the land before falling in the water, they aren’t teleported.

The way this is achieved is insane, but so cool: at the apex of the *Zombie Hover* and above the desired location, *Link* starts to fall. At exactly the right moment during the fall, they pull a bomb out of their pack and hold it above their head, which now starts its fuse. If this was done correctly, the bomb explodes after they pick up the heart lying on the ground below, but before they touch the ground. The force from the explosion pushes them into the water, teleporting them to the entrance.

Performed in the run between: **[1:11:10](https://youtu.be/8T-42gsjGbQ?t=4270) - [2:20:00](https://youtu.be/8T-42gsjGbQ?t=8400)**

### **Skipping Puppet Ganon is complete RNG**

I won’t pretend to fully understand this, but it involves a complicated *Zombie Hover* and dropping bombs into a pot from above while being attacked by *Puppet Ganon* and *Keese* at the same time. This skip alone took *Aloakirby* more than eight hours of attempts during their run.

Done successfully in the run at: **[9:26:00](https://youtu.be/GScAu8Iun8g?t=33960)**

This is a condensed version of the full run, shortened to two and a half hours:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hCFTA8Ddhg

But if you are actually curious about the entire run, you’ll find it on YouTube in two parts: **[Part 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T-42gsjGbQ)** | **[Part 2](https://youtu.be/GScAu8Iun8g)**

There is of course plenty of room for improvement. After all, the run still contains seven hours of sleeping and eight hours of attempts at skipping *Puppet Ganon*. An optimally performed run might only be three hours long. However, it’s very unlikely that many players will attempt to complete it using this route, considering how physically and mentally demanding it is.

Now, apparently it’s technically possible to beat the game with just seven items. But the glitches required to pull that off have been proven too inconsistent even for the most hardcore *RTA* runners out there. The tool-assisted speedrun even gets away with collecting only five items, and experience taught us that it’s only a matter of time until an *RTA*-viable route is found for seven and even less items, pushing the limits of *Low%* even further.

![](/static/blob/rz251jdz.png)

Thank you for reading! If you're curious about more of this week's news or would even consider subscribing to the newsletter, you'll find the full post over **[HERE](https://goldsplit.substack.com/p/week-13)**.

Finding new stories to cover can be challenging. I encourage you to think about what happened recently in the communities you are a part of. If there are any stories, articles, glitches, events, or other topics I should be taking a look at, go ahead and **[submit them here](https://forms.gle/F1VJ4PG68FTZKqn49)** or in the **[Gold Split Discord](https://discord.gg/SpbFCgsYkU)**! 📨

The Gold Split is a free weekly newsletter focused on speedrunning. This week's main story is all about the new Low% route in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

The Gold Split Newsletter #13 - Minimalist Link

PlayStation’s State of Play for 2024 was today, and while general feelings seem lukewarm - there was some good news for a few speedrunning communities out there!

# Astro Bot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQpZM1fVSBg

Astro Bot speedrunners @noamsk and @CommanderFoxQ told me they are excited about the new Speedrun Levels. They look great and come with an in-game timer as well as a global leaderboard! The only downside? There are just 5 Speedrun Levels for now. But hey, free content is an absolute win for games these days.

# Alan Wake 2: The Lake House DLC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRFBVBoSdQo

I spoke with Alan Wake 2 moderator and speedrunner @TaintedTali about the reveal trailer for AW2’s latest DLC, “The Lake House” and while the trailer left much to the imagination, Tali shared her excitement for what appears to be more horror-focused content.

She’s also hoping the shorter DLC speedruns will appeal to new runners, especially compared to the main game, which averages around 3 hours even for speedrunners. With any luck, these shorter runs could spark interest in the full-length speedruns!

# Ghost of Yōtei

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z7kqwuf0a8

Ghost of Tsushima runners are curious to see how the newly added musket plays in Ghost of Yōtei. @Aeshmah pointed out that while it may seem like adding a gun to a game about sword fighting might be overpowered, muskets traditionally were powerful but *very* slow to reload - so the working theory is that the musket will be powerful to start an encounter, but not so helpful mid-combat

Perhaps the more exciting part of Ghost of Yōtei is all the new various weapons - for a brief moment we even see Atsu (the new protagonist) wielding a kusarigama. So weapon/combat routing should certainly be more interesting in Yōtei compared to Tsushima.

As far as wishlists go, Tsushima speedrunners are **really** hoping for skippable cutscenes on a fresh save file this time around!

# Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMN-x9goE7M

Horizon speedrunners might be the most optimistic of all. @Bdud5 is excited that save files used for speedrunning will automatically transfer to the remaster from the original meanwhile @huntks can’t wait for the faster load times and quality-of-life features from Forbidden West such as Quick Swap and no pickup animations. Quick swap is especially interesting (at least in Forbidden West) [since it allows you to cancel the animation on reloads!](https://youtu.be/v_kgT2b-u0Y?si=aYu0Sl4VxBjtzxD5&t=50)

User “Dan Pop” (not a speedrunner, as far as I know) asked Guerilla Games Studio Director [@janbartvanbeek](https://twitter.com/janbartvanbeek?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) on Twitter about the engine behind HZDR, to which Jan-Bart responded

“*We call it the Franken-engine. It’s built from parts of the old engine that ran the game code, and combined with a ton of elements from the upgraded DECIMA rendering engine.*”

Speedrunners are already debating what these engine changes could mean for the speedrun - but only time will tell!

[https://x.com/danutz_plusplus/status/1838835929181474876](https://x.com/danutz_plusplus/status/1838835929181474876)

So in the end, while we may not have Silksong or Bloodborne Remastered to look forward to - at least State of Play wasn’t a total bust!

Astro Bot DLC, Alan Wake 2 DLC, Ghost of Yōtei, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered!

State of Play Sept 2024 Speedrunning Recap

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Titanfall 2

The leaderboard is under an embargo period for 2 weeks after release. This is to allow players to enjoy the full experience of the game casually without feeling like they have to rush into developing the speedrun right away. Please take your time and enjoy the game!

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Silent Hill 2 (2024)

Fatzke

Contos

4m7jny51

TheRealGRBow

roxasunbanned

UFO 50

# Hey everyone, Blxxd here.


## For the next 1.5 weeks, Into the Pit will NOT be open to accepting submissions until we figure out what we want to have for Categories and the like, alongside some more technical details. Stay tuned!

Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the Pit

Submissions will be available 2 weeks after the official release (November 8th). These 2 weeks serve to help the moderation team create main categories, the IL leaderboard and respective rule-sets. Until then feel free to join and help the community with your findings and personal bests on the freshly opened SXS Generations-[Discord](https://discord.gg/M6CyCfC6M7)

Shadow Generations

We will start accepting runs for this game one week after release to give enough time for an optimal route to be placed and for runners to have a run they like ready to submit.