An extraordinary milestone in speedrunning arrived in the public eye as a Nintendo-focused player known as shredberg completed a full start-to-finish, deathless run of Super Meat Boy. The achievement comes 15 years after the game first released on Xbox 360, and the deathless run was livestreamed just before the end of 2025, leaving viewers astonished at the precision and nerve required to navigate the game’s gauntlet of saw blades, meat grinders, and explosions.
Shredberg's achievement means the title can be completed from start to finish without a single fatal mistake, a rarity for a game built around instant deaths and brutal level design. The run was characterized by patient, pixel-perfect leaps and a steady rhythm, with the final moments captured as he approached the last level in a display that drew praise from the chat and online observers.
Edmund McMillen, the game's co-creator, publicly congratulated shredberg, calling the effort 'awesome' for completing a feat that had eluded players for more than a decade. In the climactic moment, shredberg calmly declared, 'Let's go,' after finishing Super Meat Boy's final level following more than 2000 attempts and over 1000 hours of gameplay. He added, 'Let's go dude! I cannot believe it, I've been doing this too long. I got to go to work tomorrow.' He later admitted he was nervous at the end but felt the nerves were heightened earlier on the 'Dark Cotton' segment, saying, 'I'm not going to say I wasn't nervous, because I was very nervous at the end there... but I was way more nervous just in Dark Cotton.' He also noted that he got past 'Dark Hell 2' and felt relatively fine, while acknowledging any minor slip-up could trigger anxiety. 'I'm going to be emailing everyone,' he said, 'Kotaku, IGN, CNN, Chef's Illustrated, they're all going to hear about it. I will unironically email IGN.'
Super Meat Boy first released in 2010 and has since appeared on multiple platforms, including Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Vita. A sequel, Super Meat Boy Forever, arrived in 2020, expanding the franchise's approach to endless challenges. Looking ahead, the series is positioned for a new entry with Super Meat Boy 3D slated for release early this year, a development that keeps the community watching the game's evolving legacy.
Reaction around the moment underscored the rarity of this achievement in a franchise built on relentless trial and error. Viewers even floated potential next challenges, with one comment joking about Silksong, to which shredberg replied with a mix of relief and humor. 'Yeah... I'm so glad it's over. Not even in a 'this wasn't even fun' kinda way, because it was. But, man.'
This milestone reinforces the enduring challenge of Super Meat Boy and highlights the dedication of its player community. The report is by Tom Phillips, IGN's News Editor, who can be reached for follow-up at [email protected].