Just when the gaming world thought Elden Ring had seen every conceivable challenge conquered, a player emerges to redefine the limits of possibility. In a staggering display of skill, precision, and sheer unyielding will, Twitch streamer ItzCBD has cemented their name in FromSoftware history by accomplishing what many deemed impossible: beating Elden Ring eight consecutive times, all the way to the seventh New Game Plus cycle, without a single death and without leveling up their character even once. This monumental feat, completed just before the community's collective dive into the Shadow of the Erdtree, stands as a testament to a level of mastery that borders on the supernatural. The run, starting from the humble beginnings of the Wretch class, represents the absolute pinnacle of challenge runs, combining the punishing restrictions of a no-hit attempt with the grueling marathon of a no-level-up playthrough across multiple NG+ tiers.

The Anatomy of an Impossible Run

ItzCBD's journey was nothing short of a hardcore gamer's symphony, each movement calculated to perfection. The rules were brutally simple yet unforgiving:

• Character: Wretch (starting at level 1 with minimal gear).

• Core Restriction: Zero level-ups. Stats remained at their base values for the entire 16-hour, 39-minute ordeal.

• Ironclad Rule: Zero deaths. A single mistake against any boss or enemy would mean a complete restart from the very beginning.

• Goal: Consecutive completions from New Game (NG) all the way through to New Game Plus 7 (NG+7).

This combination is the ultimate nightmare fuel for most players. A no-level-up run means every enemy, even basic soldiers in Limgrave, can kill you in just a few hits, and boss fights become battles of attrition where you must execute flawlessly for extended periods. Layering the no-death condition on top transforms the game into an intense pressure cooker where focus cannot waver for a second. The fact that ItzCBD maintained this perfection not for one playthrough, but for eight in a row, is mind-boggling.

Why NG+7 is the Final Boss

For those wondering why stop at eight runs, the answer lies in Elden Ring's scaling mechanics. The game's difficulty increases with each New Game Plus cycle, but it hits a ceiling.

Upon reaching the seventh tier (NG+7), the game's enemy damage and health stop scaling. Essentially, NG+7, NG+8, and so on offer the same, maximum level of challenge. Therefore, completing a run through NG+7 is widely considered the definitive endgame for any ultimate challenge run. ItzCBD didn't just beat the game's hardest version; they did it with two hands tied behind their back, figuratively speaking. They claim to be the first ever to combine both major restrictions (no death & no level-up) on the same character through this ultimate gauntlet, a claim that the community widely accepts given the run's insane requirements.

The Ripple Effect: A Gauntlet Thrown for Shadow of the Erdtree

This accomplishment sends a powerful message about the Elden Ring player base's skill ceiling. When players are performing feats like this in the base game, it's no wonder that director Hidetaka Miyazaki and FromSoftware decided to "push the envelope" with the difficulty in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Miyazaki's comments about the DLC testing "what can be withstood by the player" suddenly carry new weight. For the casual Tarnished, this is a terrifying prospect. 😱

However, for elite players and speedrunners like ItzCBD, such pronouncements are less a warning and more a call to arms. Miyazaki hasn't just raised the bar; he's effectively thrown down the gauntlet. The DLC's infamous difficulty, which has been a major topic since its 2025 release, is seen by these masters not as a wall, but as the next mountain to climb. If the base game can be conquered under such extreme constraints, what insane, community-breaking challenges will they devise for the Lands of Shadow? The mindset is different: "Bring it on."

The Mindset of a Master

So, what does it take to achieve this? Beyond flawless mechanical skill, it requires a mentality of absolute resilience. This isn't about getting good; it's about becoming perfect, temporarily. Every enemy pattern must be internalized, every dodge frame-perfect, and every resource meticulously managed. The 16-hour runtime, considered "whopping" in the speedrun community for such a restrictive category, highlights the cautious, deliberate pace required. There's no room for risky plays or style points—only absolute efficiency and survival.

In 2026, as players continue to dissect every inch of the expanded Lands Between, ItzCBD's achievement remains a towering landmark. It stands as a monument to human patience and skill in the face of digital adversity. It proves that even in a game designed to break your spirit, there are those who will not bend, will not level, and will certainly not die. For everyone else, it's a stunning spectacle to behold, a reminder that in the world of Elden Ring, the only true limit is the one you place on yourself. The community now watches with bated breath to see if this legendary run will inspire even more impossible challenges in the era of the Erdtree's Shadow.