The Legendary God Run: A Gamer‘s Ultimate Challenge
As an avid Soulsborne fan and content creator, I am constantly impressed by players who push these iconic games to their absolute limit. And there is no greater demonstration of skill than completing the fabled "God Run" – finishing all five original Soulsborne titles plus Sekiro and Elden Ring without taking a single hit.
What Is a God Run?
The term "God Run" was coined by popular Twitch streamer The_Happy_Hob when he completed his initial Soulsborne no-hit feat in 2019. As the chart below shows, this consists of battling through 4 lengthy RPGs and 2 action games without getting damaged once by bosses or regular enemies.
| Game | Release Year | Approx. Playtime* |
|---|---|---|
| Demon‘s Souls | 2009 | 35 hours |
| Dark Souls | 2011 | 45 hours |
| Dark Souls 2 | 2014 | 38 hours |
| Bloodborne | 2015 | 52 hours |
| Dark Souls 3 | 2016 | 45 hours |
| Sekiro | 2019 | 40 hours |
| Elden Ring | 2022 | 90 hours |
*Main story playtimes via HowLongToBeat
As these totals indicate, a complete God Run requires absolute mastery over hundreds of hours of content. From Software‘s unique brand of tense, unforgiving combat means that a single mistake can instantly invalidate an entire run.
The First God Rune: The_Happy_Hob
On January 29th, 2019, Twitch streamer The_Happy_Hob cemented his legendary status by completing the first ever God Run across all five Soulsborne releases…
[Detailed description of The_Happy_Hob‘s milestone and reactions]Hob has long been renowned for his Soulsborne prowess, but stringing together Demon‘s Souls through Dark Souls 3 with no hits represented his magnum opus. However, from Software would add to the challenge shortly after with two more punishing titles…
Expanding the God Run: Sekiro and Elden Ring
Mere months after Hob‘s original God Run, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice brought a slew of new perilous combat mechanics to conquer. Custom runner dinossindgeil added these along with 2022‘s sprawling open world Elden Ring to form the modern "God Run" compendium.
[Elaborate on dinossindgeil‘s God Run 2 and 3 achievements]Between these two additions, the God Run has essentially doubled in scope since early 2019. Elden Ring alone almost doubles the cumulative playtime with its lengthy campaign and wealth of side content. As such, completing a full God Run today represents one of gaming‘s pinnacles for dedication.
Can Anyone Topple the Gods?
To date, only a handful gaming luminaries like Hob and dinossindgeil have joined the pantheon of completing full God Runs. Their otherworldly reflexes and mental stamina raise the question – what could possibly come next? From Software continues to pump out hits, so I would not be surprised to see them add demonstrate their talent in new IP like Armored Core. However, part of me wonders if there is any higher peak than a perfect Elden Ring run? Let me know what you think!
Regardless, as long these studios keep crafting intricately challenging games, I know these gaming paragons will keep pursuing incredible feats. It remains an inspiration for me as both a player and creator.
