I'm ready for Elden Ring's DLC, but not as ready as this Dark Souls streamer who beat the whole action RPG at level 1 multiple times from NG to NG+7 without ever dying

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"Just in time for Shadow of the Erdtree"

Elden Ring screenshot showing Melina, a young woman with short copper-y hair, staring ahead as flames rise behind her
(Image credit: FromSoftware)

While Elden Ring players were preparing for Shadow of the Erdtree to finally release, one hardened FromSoftware stan managed to one-up everyone by beating the action RPG eight times without leveling up - or dying.

Streamer itzCBD has gone ahead and pulled off the seemingly impossible, apparently becoming the first ever Elden Ring player to beat the game at level one through every single New Game Plus difficulty with zero deaths. This makes for eight full runs of an already challenging game, all made even more taxing thanks to the lack of leveling and each NG+ mode's gradual increase in difficulty. CBD also chooses to start as a Wretch, Elden Ring's own version of Dark Souls' Deprived class, which puts him at a greater disadvantage.

Playing as a Wretch means CBD's Tarnished is the lowest level possible, with no real stats or strengths to speak of and no gear to wear, either. It's the go-to class Elden Ring speedrunners and fans pick when looking for a challenge, as it turns characters into completely blank slates with no buffs - as is the case with CBD's own run. Nonetheless, the impressive streamer prevails after almost 20 hours of blood, sweat, and tears - "just in time for Shadow of the Erdtree." 

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Upon tackling the Elden Beast and seemingly becoming the first person to pull off the wildly difficult feat, CBD cheers and claps before simply exclaiming, "NG to NG+7 deathless, level one." He ends the challenge with a whopping 35,532,040 runes left over from never spending any, too, making for one very wealthy Elden Lord. With Shadow of the Erdtree out now, CBD is sure to break even more records - in the meantime, I'll just be dying over and over again in-game as usual.

Are you playing the new DLC? Here's every Shadow of the Erdtree guide you'll ever need.

Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.