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Willis Gibson

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Blue Scuti
Blue Scuti at the 2024 Heart of Texas regional
Personal information
NameWillis Gibson
Born (2010-01-27) January 27, 2010 (age 14)
Career information
GamesClassic Tetris
Playing career2021–present
Career highlights and awards
  • First to "beat" Tetris (2023)[1][2]
  • CTWC Kansas City regional champion (2023)[3]

Willis Gibson (born January 27, 2010), also known online as Blue Scuti, is an American classic Tetris player from Stillwater, Oklahoma. At 11 years old, Gibson became interested in the game from YouTube. He eventually decided to pursue the game competitively and began participating in Tetris tournaments, including the Classic Tetris World Championship in 2023, in which he placed third. He gained international attention when, on December 21, 2023, he became the first person to "beat the game" after getting to the previously unreached level 157 and triggering a killscreen. He is regarded as one of the best Tetris players in the United States.[1][2]

Tetris career

Background

Gibson, aged 11, began to play the 1989 puzzle video game Tetris in 2021 after seeing it on YouTube.[1][3][4] When he showed interest in the game, his mother acquired a RetroN console from a pawnbroker[1] and a CRT display that her workplace had discarded.[5] Playing the game started out as "mainly a hobby," according to himself in a 2023 interview, but later grew into competitive play online against others and livestreaming under the gaming name "Blue Scuti," taking after the star UY Scuti.[4]

Willis Gibson with Eve "Sidnev" Commandeur (right) at the CTWC 2023 semifinals.

Gibson would compete in several gaming tournaments, including placing third in the Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) in October 2023, winning US$1,500.[4][6] Gibson, aged 13, was one of the youngest competitors.[4]

Gibson won his first live tournament at the inaugural[7] Kansas City regional on December 2, 2023,[3][8] receiving a championship apron.[7]

Game crash achievement

Further information: Tetris (NES video game) § High-level gameplay

After the CTWC in October 2023, Gibson began his attempt to reach Tetris's "killscreen", a point late in the game when the game's code glitches, resulting in a game crash due to hardware limitations within the NES.[9] This killscreen had previously only been reached by AI.[10] Gibson was inspired by fellow competitive Tetris player and YouTuber Justin Yu ("Fractal161"), who announced his intentions to reach the killscreen after the CTWC.[3] To improve his skills in the late-game, Gibson began to practice playing the hardest levels in the game nicknamed "Dusk" and "Charcoal" because of their darker and distorted hues of the blocks caused by a late-game glitch.[3]

"I'm going to pass out, I can't feel my fingers."

Willis Gibson, just after becoming the first person to trigger a game crash on the NES version of Tetris[6][10]

On December 21, 2023, Gibson became the first person on the NES version of Tetris to "beat the game" after reaching level 157 and triggering the killscreen.[1] The record playthrough lasted 38 minutes and was uploaded to Gibson's YouTube channel on January 2, 2024, under the title "The First Time Somebody Has Ever 'Beat' Tetris".[10][11] The playthrough was also the highest overall scoring game of Tetris at the time of recording.[6]

The achievement shortly afterwards garnered international notoriety, with The New York Times conducting an interview with him and Good Morning America broadcasting the record-breaking video on television.[1][3] In a statement, Tetris Company CEO Maya Rogers congratulated Gibson for his "feat that defies all preconceived limits" of the game.[3][9] President of the CTWC, Vince Clemente, remarked: "It's basically something that everyone thought was impossible"[1] and that the whole event "is unbelievable".[12] On January 5, 2024, Gibson's post-victory reaction quote "I can't feel my fingers" became The New York Times quote of the day.[13] On the same day, Tetris co-founders Alexey Pajitnov and Henk Rogers met with Gibson over a video call, calling his playthrough an "amazing, amazing achievement."[14][15]

The American monthly magazine WIRED credited the widespread media attention of the achievement to a recent "cultural obsession" of the game restarting in 2023, and an uptick in generally negative news starting off the New Year in 2024.[16] A clip of Gibson breathing heavily and repeatedly exclaiming, "oh, my God!" at the moment of the crash was circulated widely.[1][14] While the media's reaction to Gibson remained largely positive,[16] Sky News presenter Jayne Secker remarked that "as a mother, I would just say step away from the screen, go outside, get some fresh air" and that "beating Tetris is not a life goal". Secker's comments attracted considerable backlash.[17]

Recent history

Gibson played at the Heart of Texas tournament in Waco on January 20, 2024.[18][19] Though he was defeated in the semifinals, a "surge in attention and popularity" at the tournament was attributed to him and the crowd "grew each time Gibson was competing".[20]

Playing style

While playing Tetris, Gibson holds the game controller between his left knee and right foot. He drums on the back of the controller with his right hand fingers, rapidly pushing the buttons into his left hand.

Gibson's playing style was described as "aggressive" by Stillwater News Press.[4] He first learned to play the game using the hypertapping technique in 2021, but when the faster rolling technique was discovered, his playing style changed to it instead.[3] The combination of skill, aggression, and mastery of the rolling technique was credited to Gibson's ability to perform well in the game.[2][3][4] For his set-up, Gibson often plays with the controller on his right foot balanced against his left knee, with his right hand performing the rolling and tapping actions. He wears a glove on his right hand to reduce the friction of the repeated actions.[4]

Personal life

Gibson was born on January 27, 2010[21] to Karin Cox, herself a gamer and high school math teacher,[1][3] and Adam Gibson, who died on December 14, 2023.[2][14] Before his death, Adam attended Willis's first live tournament victory at the Kansas City regional[5] and commissioned a neon sign of Willis's username as a Christmas gift.[14] In an interview with NBC News on January 5, 2024, Gibson dedicated his game crash achievement to his father.[14]

Besides Tetris and other retro games, Gibson's hobbies include playing at the arcade, bowling, and cycling.[1][3][4] He has stated that he does not want his Tetris career to interfere with his education, and that he plans to use any prize money or other related earnings to pay for college.[3] Gibson is interested in Super Mario Bros. and would like to be able to play it at a high level.[22][23]

Competitive record

Year Championship Score Finishing place Ref.
2022 CTM April Community Tier 1 3–1 2nd [24]
2023 Classic Tetris World Championship 3–1 3rd [4]
2024 CTWC Kansas City Regional 3–0 1st [25]
CTM January Masters Event 0–1 contender [26]
CTWC Heart of Texas 1–1 3rd [27]
Classic Tetris Level 12 RETURNS (Division 1) N/A Scheduled [28]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Deb, Sopan (January 3, 2024). "Boy, 13, Is Believed to Be the First to 'Beat' Tetris". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Montgomery, Blake (January 3, 2024). "Oklahoma 13-year-old believed to be first person ever to beat Tetris". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Elmquist, Jason (January 3, 2024). "Wunderkind: Stillwater teen becomes first documented human to 'beat' Tetris". Stillwater News Press. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Marshall, Jessica (November 16, 2023). "Boy Wonder: Stillwater teen places third in Classic Tetris World Championship". Stillwater News Press. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Cox, Karin (January 8, 2024). "Talking with Blue Scuti's Mom". Tetris Gal Talk (Interview). Interviewed by Kim, Eunha. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Santos, Sofia Ferreira (January 3, 2024). "Tetris: US teenager claims to be first to beat video game". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Gibson, Willis (January 22, 2024). "Interviewing Bluescuti: The 13 Year Old Prodigy That BEAT Tetris". Side Scrollers (Interview). Interviewed by Skistimas, Craig. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  8. ^ Phou, Evan (December 6, 2023). "2024 Classic Tetris World Championship Regional Tournament Dates". Tetris Interest. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Hamilton, David (January 4, 2024). "13-year-old gamer becomes the first to beat the 'unbeatable' Tetris — by breaking it". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Korn, Jennifer (January 3, 2024). "Oklahoma teenager finally defeats the unbeatable game: Tetris". CNN. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Gibson, Willis (January 2, 2024). The First Time Somebody Has Ever "Beat" Tetris (YouTube video). Blue Scuti. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  12. ^ Carroll, Rory (January 3, 2024). "Thirteen-year-old becomes first player to beat Tetris". Reuters. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  13. ^ "Quotation of the Day: Teenage Boy 'Beats' Tetris, Joining A.I. at the Top". The New York Times. January 5, 2024. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e Cohen, Rebecca (January 5, 2024). "Teen who beat Tetris gets a surprise meeting with game's creator" (Interview). Interviewed by Castro, Valerie. NBC News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  15. ^ Elmquist, Jason (January 5, 2024). "Tetris sensation from Stillwater gets opportunity to meet game's creator". Stillwater News Press. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Watercutter, Angela (January 5, 2024). "Why Everyone Is Obsessed With the Kid Who Beat Tetris". WIRED. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  17. ^ Rodgers, Andrew (January 4, 2024). "Tetris: Sky News presenter tells teenager to "go outside"". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  18. ^ Rajkumar, Jessica (January 20, 2024). "Teen who beat original Tetris game competes in Heart of Texas Tetris Competition". KWTX-TV. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  19. ^ Shahji, Adam (January 20, 2024). "1st player to beat Tetris appears in Waco". KXXV. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  20. ^ Elmquist, Jason (January 22, 2024). "Blue Scuti effect: Fans flock to Tetris tournament to see Stillwater's global phenom". Stillwater NewsPress. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  21. ^ Mingorance, Virginia (January 23, 2024). "Teen Who Beat Tetris To Launch Immersive Tetris Experience In The Colony, Texas". Local Profile. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  22. ^ Stefanovic, Karl; Abo, Sarah (January 6, 2024). Teenager becomes first human to beat 'Tetris' | Today Show Australia (YouTube video). Today. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  23. ^ Menezes, Damita (January 14, 2024). "Oklahoma teen believed to be first to beat Tetris, meets creator". NewsNation. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  24. ^ "CTM April 2022 Community T1". Classic Tetris Monthly. April 2022. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  25. ^ "CTWC Kansas City Regional Gold". Classic Tetris Monthly. January 4, 2024. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  26. ^ "CTM January 2024 Masters Event". Classic Tetris Monthly. January 2024. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  27. ^ "CTWC Heart of Texas 2023 Gold". Classic Tetris Monthly. January 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  28. ^ "Classic Tetris Level 12 RETURNS Division 1". Classic Tetris Monthly. January 2024. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
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