Tetris company confirms a 13-year-old is the first known person to beat the game

A 13-year-old gamer has officially become the first known person to beat Tetris, according to reports citing confirmation from The Tetris Company, the developers of the iconic game that was first released in 1988 in the US.

Tetris beaten by 13-year-old Willis Gibson

The first known person to beat the iconic game is 13-year-old Willis Gibson, or Blue Scuti online, who reached level 157 with a score of 999999 while playing from home in Oklahoma. The gamer was livestreaming the attempt that later went to the "kill screen," which is when the game simply freezes up and crashes due to the blocks falling too fast. This screen has only previously been reached by AI-powered bots.

Gibson achieved the "kill screen" in roughly 38 minutes, and according to Vince Clemente, the president of the Classic Tetris World Championship, who spoke to The New York Times, "It's never been done by a human before. It's basically something that everyone thought was impossible until a couple of years ago." It should be noted that Tetris was released nearly 40 years ago, and Gibson only started playing the classic game when he was 11 years old.

"As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tetris this year, moments like these truly showcase the passion and dedication of Tetris enthusiasts. Congratulations to 'blue scuti' for achieving this extraordinary accomplishment, a feat that defies all preconceived limits of this legendary game," said Tetris CEO Maya Rogers

"This monumental achievement not only breaks new ground in the realm of Tetris but also ignites our anticipation for its future. Here's to the incredible journey ahead!"

Additionally, Gibson told publications he plays approximately 20 hours a week on a cathode-ray tube television. Furthermore, Gibson dedicated his monumental achievement to his late father, who sadly passed away only last month.

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