Records in the speedrunning community are updated regularly, but some achievements remain unsurpassed for years. This is how it has been for the last 25 years with speedrunning one of the levels of the original Quake.
Image source: id Software
We are talking about Installation (E2M1) – the first level of the second episode (The Realm of Black Magic). It’s a circular battle arena that, as we discovered shortly after Quake’s release in 1996, is almost completely skippable.
The key to success is jumping from the starting to the final section of the level, reducing the completion time to a few moments. Markus Taipale completed it in 7.97 seconds back in March 1999.
The game rounds down time, which is why Taipale’s 7-second record remained unbeaten for so long
For 25 years, even the most talented players in the Quake community have failed to break Taipale’s 7-second barrier, no matter how close they get. Breaking the record was considered impossible.
However, in mid-August 2024, Swedish speedrunner EIM64 managed to pass E2M1 in a record 6.99 seconds. Blogger Karl Jobst drew attention to the player’s achievement.
The oldest record in Quake speedrun history was broken not thanks to a new trick or trick: EIM64 analyzed the route and found places where it could be optimized even better, resulting in a historic achievement.
It is worth noting that this is the second time in 2024 that a long-standing record in the cult shooter from id Software has been broken. In the spring, 26 years later, the first level of Doom 2: Hell on Earth was completed in less than five seconds.