Elden Ring speedrun legend offers $10,000 for the ultimate Shadow of the Erdtree challenge: Level 1, DLC weapons only, and limited Scadutree levels

“Just rune level 1 wasn’t really hard enough in my mind”

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One prominent member of the Souls speedrunning community wants to get a newElden Ringcategory off the ground in a big way, and he’s offering $10,000 worth of bounties to get it kickstarted. All you’ve got to do for your share is beatShadow of the Erdtreewith some extreme power limitations.

Distortion2, a prolific speedrunner and former Elden Ring world record holder, is hosting a bounty challenge for the new Rune Level 1 DLC% category from now until August 11. As the name suggests, you have to play at rune level 1 as you beat allShadow of the Erdtree remembrance bossesand Bayle using nothing but weapons found in the DLC. You’re also only allowed to level up your Scadu blessing by 1 for each boss killed.

“Just rune level 1 wasn’t really hard enough in my mind, as we all know how strong some weapons from the base game can be,” Distortion2 explains in theannouncement video. He also explains how he’s “not a huge fan” of how most Shadow of the Erdtree speedruns start by having “the runner collect as many Scadu fragments along the route as possible.” Those concerns led to this new category.

Of course, that $10,000 promise is likely to draw a lot of interest. The cash is set to be spread across the top 10 runners after the event closes, ranging from $4,000 for the top time down to $200 for the bottom five. You can get full details on the rules - and download the custom save file you need to get started - over on the challenge’sDiscord server.

After stacking an ungodly amount of buffs, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s final boss can be defeated in a single hit so strong that even its second phase cutscene can’t save it.

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Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He’s been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

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