After 26 Years, Doom 2's Toughest World Record Has Finally Been Beaten

Summary DOOM II speedrunner 4shockblast broke the world record for completing Entryway in just four seconds.

Incorporating "Thing Running" and extensive practice, 4shockblast achieved an impossible feat in speedrunning history.

While some believe the record is unbeatable, the DOOM community continues to experiment in the hopes of discovering new secrets.

While the DOOM franchise may be known for blitzing through demon-infested halls as fast as possible while also gunning down hordes of monsters, one dedicated speedrunner managed to do it faster than anyone else, shattering a long-standing world record. Given the games' emphasis on speed, it's no wonder why id Software's seminal first-person shooters are so popular amongst the speedrunning community. It's a game that's incredibly accessible to learn but infinitely difficult to master, so much so that many believe some of the older records are impossible to beat but every once in a while, someone proves the naysayers wrong.

Per Kotaku, speedrunner 4shockblast managed the monumental task of completing DOOM II's first level, Entryway, in just four seconds, which is a whole second faster than the previous record held by Thomas Pilger at 5.97 seconds.

It's an incredible achievement given that a sub-four-second run of Entryway was believed impossible for 26 years. Yet with thousands of attempts under their belt and some interesting tech, 4shockblast achieved one of the most exciting accomplishments in the DOOM II speedrunning scene yet.

Related 9 Best Video Game Franchises For Speedrunning Speedrunning has become a staple of video gaming. According to Wikipedia, there are a few franchises that are most associated with the craft.

How A New Record Was Set In DOOM II

Practice Makes Perfect

While the methods used to obtain a four-second run on Entryway are complicated to explain, YouTuber Karl Jobst posted a fantastic video breaking down how 4shockblast pulled it off. While also incorporating the secrets discovered over the last two decades to maximize their speed, the runner also used a technique known as "Thing Running" which allows them to launch off an enemy for a tiny speed boost and cut through the level's first corner. It's an incredibly precise and risky maneuver, especially given that the speedrun is intended to be a "Pacifist Run" meaning no enemies can be killed.

The speedrun was obviously not accomplished on 4shockblast's first try but the amount of practice they required to successfully hit four seconds is genuinely astonishing. To perfect the route, they practiced over 100,000 attempts before eventually landing on a line that ultimately worked in the end. That kind of commitment just illustrates how much love and patience a speedrunner must have for their selected game in order to succeed.

Whether anyone else will be able to beat 4shockblast's time remains unknown as many people believe it impossible to shave any more seconds off the time. However, the DOOM community is known for experimenting with the game, and, given the amount of resources available, it's not impossible to imagine someone discovering a new secret that results in a new record. Only time will tell whether Entryway can be beaten in less than four seconds.

Source: Kotaku, Karl Jobst/YouTube