A 16-year-old gamer has just made history by doing something never seen before in the history of video games. Michael Artiaga became the first person to beat level 255 of the classic game Tetris, causing the game to reset to level 0, a moment known as “rebirth.”
And it happened to a live audience. It took Artiaga, who goes by the username “dogplayingtetris” on Twitch, 82 minutes to clear level 255. After reaching this massive milestone, Artiaga was ready to call it quits, saying he never wants to play the game again.
He was using a special version of the game designed to prevent the game from crashing after level 155, a point where other players have faced the “kill screen” or other game-ending glitches. Last year, another teen gamer managed to reach level 157 before the game crashed on him.
Artiaga is no stranger to breaking records. He became the world’s youngest Tetris champion at just 13 when he beat his older brother in the Classic Tetris World Championship final in 2020.
First created in 1984, Tetris remains a global favorite for its simple yet challenging gameplay.