Tetris is one of the most iconic and popular video games of all time. It has been played by millions of people around the world since its release in 1984. But no one has ever been able to beat it. Until now.
Tetris is a puzzle game where the player has to arrange falling blocks of different shapes and colors into complete rows. The game gets faster and harder as the player progresses. The blocks eventually fall so fast that the player cannot keep up and the screen fills up with blocks. This is known as the “kill screen” and it marks the end of the game.
The game has 29 levels, but the last level, level 29, is impossible to play. The blocks fall at a speed of one frame per second, which means that the player has no time to move or rotate them. The game crashes after the player reaches level 29 and completes 230 lines.
Many Tetris players have tried to reach the kill screen and see how far they can go. The highest score ever recorded on the original version of Tetris for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is 999,999 points, achieved by several players. The highest level ever reached is level 31, achieved by only one player, Harry Hong, in 2009.
But no one has ever been able to beat Tetris. Until now.
The prodigy
Willis Gibson is a 13-year-old from Oklahoma who loves playing video games. He started playing Tetris when he was 10 years old, after watching some videos of the game online. He was fascinated by the game and wanted to learn how to play it well.
He practiced every day, sometimes for hours, on his NES console. He learned the strategies and techniques of the game, such as how to stack the blocks, how to clear multiple lines at once, how to deal with the random pieces, and how to cope with the increasing speed and difficulty.
He also watched the videos of the best Tetris players in the world, such as Jonas Neubauer, the seven-time winner of the Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC), a tournament that features the original NES version of Tetris. He admired their skills and wanted to compete with them someday.
He decided to record his own gameplay and upload it to YouTube, where he gained a lot of fans and followers. He also joined the online Tetris community, where he met other players and learned from them. He became friends with some of the top Tetris players, such as Joseph Saelee, the 16-year-old who won the CTWC in 2023 and 2024, and Koryan Nishio, the Japanese player who holds the world record for the most lines cleared in Tetris, 296.
He also participated in some online Tetris tournaments, where he showed his talent and potential. He won several matches and impressed many people with his speed and accuracy. He was invited to join the CTWC in 2024, where he qualified for the main event.
He was the youngest and the least experienced player in the tournament, but he was not intimidated. He played with confidence and determination, and he surprised everyone with his performance. He defeated some of the best Tetris players in the world, such as Alex Kerr, the runner-up of the CTWC in 2023, and Ben Mullen, the third-place finisher of the CTWC in 2024.
He reached the final round, where he faced Jonas Neubauer, the legend of Tetris. It was a best-of-five match, and the winner would be crowned the world champion. It was a close and intense battle, with both players showing their skills and strategies. They exchanged leads and tied scores, until the fifth and final game.
In the fifth game, Willis Gibson did something that no one had ever done before. He beat Tetris.
The miracle
He reached level 29 and completed 230 lines, triggering the kill screen. But he did not stop there. He kept playing, even though the game was glitching and crashing. He somehow managed to move and rotate the blocks, despite the impossible speed. He cleared more lines, surpassing the previous record of 296. He reached level 30, then level 31, then level 32.
He kept going, until he reached level 33. Then, the game stopped. The screen went blank. The music stopped. The game was over.
He had done it. He had beaten Tetris.
He looked at his score. It was 1,000,000 points. He had broken the limit of the game. He had achieved the impossible.
He was speechless. He could not believe what he had done. He had just made history.
He looked at his opponent. Jonas Neubauer was stunned. He could not believe what he had seen. He had just witnessed a miracle.
He congratulated Willis Gibson. He hugged him. He praised him. He acknowledged him as the new world champion. He acknowledged him as the best Tetris player of all time.
He acknowledged him as the first person ever to beat Tetris.
The reaction
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. They were amazed and astonished by what they had seen. They had seen the greatest Tetris match ever played. They had seen the greatest Tetris player ever born.
They chanted his name. They celebrated his victory. They honored his achievement.
They witnessed history.
The news spread quickly. The video of the match went viral. The media reported the story. The world learned about Willis Gibson and his feat.
He received messages and comments from fans and followers. He received congratulations and compliments from other Tetris players. He received recognition and respect from the gaming community.
He received praise and admiration from everyone.
He became a star. He became a hero. He became a legend.
He became the first person ever to beat Tetris.