An unbelievable Elden Ring speedrun sees a skilled player conquer FromSoftware's open-world epic in under 37 minutes. The massive fantasy epic was released on February 25, and many fans have yet to even complete their first journey through The Lands Between. Elden Ring was beaten in under an hour recently, but the fastest completion time continues to get lower and lower almost every day.
FromSoftware's soulslike games are notoriously difficult, with unrelenting combat and merciless bosses blocking players from progressing through each action role-playing adventure. However, despite this built-in difficulty, the FromSoftware fanbase has a habit of pursuing even greater challenges through custom-made restrictions. The infamous "Souls Level 1" run, for example, tasks a player with completing an entire game without ever leveling up their player character. Speedruns are another excellent way to add variety to a FromSoftware experience, with the community competing to see who can beat each game the fastest. Even more unusual challenges, like a Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice blindfolded speedrun, push gamers to the limit of their skill and determination.
As reported by Kotaku, Twitch streamer Distortion2 recently completed an Elden Ring speedrun in only 37 minutes. After choosing the Samurai class, the talented Tarnished immediately begins the speedrun by running off a cliff to skip the Grafted Scion tutorial boss. Distortion2 then sprints through Limgrave, stopping briefly to acquire the horse Torrent from Melina before continuing on a mad dash to the finish. The late-game Volcano Manor region is reached within 18 minutes, and a loading glitch lets the speedrunner reach the Farum Azula within 24 minutes of the run starting. It is believed that Distortion2's Elden Ring speedrun is currently the fastest in the world.
Speedruns are a popular way for FromSoftware fans to find greater challenges, but there are many other unusual ways to play too. One player has been fighting through Elden Ring using a banana controller, having recently beat Godrick the Grafted using the vitamin-rich contraption. The device hooks multiple bananas up to a circuit box and computer, allowing each yellow fruit to act as a single key on a delicious keyboard. While odd, the banana controller can apparently be effective against bosses while also serving as an excellent gaming snack.
Many players will take hours and hours to thoroughly explore Elden Ring, but Distortion2 has completed the entire experience in less than 37 minutes. This truly impressive feat demonstrates a mastery of the FromSoftware formula, and it seems likely that the record time will continue to drop even lower over time. The speedrun is a testament to both Distortion2's skill and the open-ended nature of Elden Ring's breathtaking world.
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Sources: Kotaku, Distortion2/Twitch