Someone finally beat the $20,000 Halo 2 challenge
Once called 'impossible', it was considered one of the most difficult feats in the history of videogames.
Earlier this year, Charlie 'Cr1TiKal' White issued a challenge. He offered $5,000 to anyone who could complete a full solo playthrough of Halo 2 on legendary difficulty with 13 of the difficulty-modifying skulls activated. (The 14th skull, called Envy, gives you active camouflage in place of your flashlight.) Three weeks later, with nobody claiming it, he bumped the reward up to $20,000.
In the 18 years since Halo 2's release, no recorded instance of anyone achieving this feat existed. Today, after dozens of attempts spread over the previous weeks, Twitch streamer JerValiN finally completed the challenge. In a run that took just shy of six-and-a-half hours, he made use of an incredible amount of skill as well as tricks and glitches like the one that lets you bring a Banshee with you into the final fight against Tartarus. Things almost went sideways in the final minutes thanks to a Brute with a shotgun who dodged a double-grenade, but JerValiN managed to hold it together until the end.
JerValiN was previously responsible for the first deathless LASO (Legendary All Skulls On) run of any Halo game, having completed Halo 2 with all 14 skulls including the Envy skull active. That run was clocked at five hours, 54 minutes, and 40 seconds, while his latest feat took six hours, 29 minutes, and 44 seconds. Seems like a decent way to earn 20 grand.