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Doom II: The legendary map with 23,000 demons has finally met its match

Doom II: The legendary map with 23,000 demons has finally met its match

In 2013, a DoomWorld forum member named Okuplok posted a map from Doom II that quickly became famous for its mind-boggling difficulty. No one had ever made it out alive from this video game slaughterhouse… until this weekend; while most people were busy chasing Easter eggs, a player became the first person to Complete the toughest version of this legendary map in one go.

For those unfamiliar with this famous map, it's a virtual torture chamber that contains no fewer than 23,211 demons. The screen is therefore constantly filled with a veritable wall of enemies and projectiles, all of which can end the game in a fraction of a second. This abundance of threats is all the more restrictive since the clashes often take place in narrow spaces where it is difficult to maneuver. And to top it all off, the level is extremely long: completing it in one go requires several hours of gameplay on the edge, without the slightest mistake, and with a good dose of luck.

Years of torture before a historic marathon

Unsurprisingly, the Okuplok map remained untouchable for a long time. For 13 years, the only people who managed to complete it in one go did so using TAS-type programming tools, like those that speedrunners use to explore strategies at the limits of human capabilities.

It wasn't until 2023 that a player and streamer named Coincident finally completed it without interruption – but on a much more lenient difficulty level, which reduced damage taken and provided more ammo. The highest difficulty, called Ultra Violence, always seemed out of reach. After countless attempts, Coincident still managed to complete it under these abominable conditions… but never in one go. His best performance was still a run segmented into two parts. A feat, certainly, but it remains significantly less difficult than achieving it without any saves.

Unsatisfied, this self-confessed masochist continued to pursue his goal. And his tenacity was finally rewarded. During the Easter weekend, after a true marathon of six hours, five minutes, and twenty-two seconds, he became the first player ever to complete Okuplok Purgatory on difficulty Ultra-Violence, without the help of external tools, and above all in one go. A true gaming feat that will remain in the history of this legendary title, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last fall.

When will there be a speedrun?

The question now is whether the community will have the courage to go even further. Completing a challenge like this, once considered insurmountable, is often only a first step: these challenges tend to turn into speedruns, where other players take over to replicate these feats of strength as quickly as possible. But knowing the nature of this map, which is at once difficult, exhausting and not exactly rewarding, we can legitimately wonder if anyone will ever have the courage to tackle it. See you in a few months, or more likely years, for the first answers!

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