Nintendo games won't appear at Japanese speedrunning charity event, after company warns organizers

It’s no secret that Nintendo is critical of how streamers present its titles. Still, for many fans, when the gaming giant takes issue with a charitable cause, it sets a dangerous precedent. In June, a Japanese speedrunning event suddenly dropped all Nintendo games from its schedule. Now, gamers know that the company warned the RTA Summer 2025 show not to feature any title without permission.

The RTA speedrunning event will take place in Japan from August 9th to August 15th. First-party Nintendo games, such as Super Mario 64, have a major presence at the showcases. However, as reported by Automaton, organizers have had to scramble to find alternatives. On June 13th, Nintendo contacted RTA and asked that they request permission on a per-game basis. With limited time, the organization decided to wait until future events to reintroduce Nintendo classics.

RTA may have avoided Nintendo’s lawyers if it weren’t considered a legal entity in Japan. As a result, RTA’s status as a non-profit organization doesn’t make it immune to potential legal trouble. Nevertheless, as talented players rush to complete Nintendo games, the proceeds from viewership are donated to charities.

Nintendo frequently takes issue with how and when livestreams show its games. The company prefers to control the marketing of IPs with broadcasts like the Nintendo Direct or the Nintendo Today! app. Even so, speedrunners often focus on titles that have been on the market for many years. One issue may be their usage of exploits or cheats to set new low times.

So far, the restrictions haven’t affected Games Done Quick (GDQ), a popular speedrunning marathon in the United States. Their latest meeting, held in July, featured several Zelda games, among other Nintendo favorites. Supporters had speculated that Nintendo wouldn’t dare to interfere with a charitable endeavor. After the latest controversy, that belief now seems less certain.