Streamer Kai Cenat has beaten Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree after an intense 99-hour marathon with the DLC that saw him but his head against the final boss for roughly 500 deaths and one live therapy session. Cenat promptly celebrated his victory by falling to the floor and screaming in victory, before being praised by his friends.
Since Shadow of the Erdtree‘s initial release, Kai Cenat has focused on beating it. FromSoftware sent him a life-size Malenia statue to commemorate his 24+ hour battle with the base game’s super-boss ahead of the DLC’s release, and while no boss in this expansion appears to have given him quite as much trouble, he still struggled. He managed to reach the final boss, which had two tough phases to conquer, with roughly 50 hours and 500 deaths, but ended his marathon at 99 hours and a total of 1,070 deaths. (Spoilers for the identity of the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree follow.)
Now everyone can finally rest
Cenat posted his victory on Twitter with just a few words, “RADAHN IS NOW DEAD.” This post was followed by a clip of the final moments in this battle from Kai Mafia Updates, and the roar the streamer lets out after he sees the boss fall is unlike anything I’ve ever seen on Twitch before. It would feel more at home in a TV show like Vikings.
While Cenat was stuck throwing himself at Radahn, desperately trying to beat the boss, someone enlisted the help of model and counselor Aubri Williams for a live therapy session to help him get into the right head space. You can watch the final moments of his marathon on Twitch, but it’s probably worth settling in for the full 99 hours if you want to see everything the DLC has to offer and, like me, aren’t prepared enough to play it.
I’ve played a little of most of FromSoftware’s games, and I can’t argue with the logic that having a professional get you into the right mood and emotions before a boss battle certainly feels like it would help. It’s certainly not the strangest tactic out there. That belongs to the Prepare to Try (now RKG) team putting paper on the screen to beat Prince Lorian and Prince Lothric in Dark Souls 3.
Kai Cenat has been an outstanding creator in the Elden Ring space in the lead up to and throughout Shadow of the Erdtree’s launch. Before his marathon began, he took the time to shout out other creators he follows and believes are worth everyone checking out in a wholesome display that you don’t see too often on Twitch.
I think everything has been building to this moment for a long time for Cenat, but he’s not done. The streamer has plans to play through similar games, such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Bloodborne, as marathons. Despite these games also being FromSoftware titles, every fan knows just how different the gameplay is between them and Elden Ring, so all I can say is good luck.
