- Thirteen-year-old Willis Gibson was the first to hit Tetris’ “kill screen” without AI.
- Reaching Level 157 and nearly 1 million points, he broke boundaries long thought impossible for humans.
- Gibson’s feat has renewed excitement around mastering the classic puzzle game.
Thirteen-year-old Willis “Blue Scuti” Gibson recently accomplished a gaming feat once thought impossible for humans. On December 21, 2022, the Oklahoma teenager became the first person to reach Tetris‘ infamous “kill screen” without utilizing artificial intelligence.
Gibson’s historic Tetris achievement
The kill screen results from the game’s technical limits, freezing play upon exceeding 2 million points. Gibson’s recorded score of 999,999 occurred at the astonishing Level 157, dwarfing the previous human record of 146.
Experts believed AI bots, having hit Level 237 in 2020, were the only entities capable of reaching Tetris’ maximum boundaries. But Gibson’s skillful, strategic play defied expectations through innovative “tapping” techniques.
Footage of the young phenom’s milestone game quickly went viral after posting on YouTube this week. “It’s something everyone thought was impossible until a couple of years ago,” remarked Vince Clemente, President of the Classic Tetris World Championship.
Impact and future prospects
Gibson, known online as “Blue Scuti,” has sparked intrigue from professional gaming communities. His achievement demonstrates Tetris still presents untouched opportunities even for seasoned devotees.
It has refreshed enthusiasm around the human ability to master one of gaming’s most beloved puzzles. At just 13 years old, Gibson may have a long future ahead as a record-shattering player. For now, he can pride himself on an accomplishment eluding all previous human challengers against the timeless brain teaser.
