Dan Gheesling has pulled off one of gaming’s most impressive feats by completing the Elden Ring DLC while refusing to upgrade his character’s health. The former Big Brother winner turned gaming streamer died a staggering 3,469 times before finally achieving victory against some of the game’s toughest bosses.
The self-imposed challenge wasn’t just about keeping his vigor stat at minimum levels. Gheesling added several other restrictions that bordered on gaming torture. He limited himself to using just one weapon, avoided items like resins, refused to use summons or spells, and didn’t change his weapon skill.
Radahn, one of the DLC’s most notorious bosses, became Gheesling’s nemesis during this run. According to viewers, his first attempt at defeating Radahn came at the 317-hour mark of his challenge. It then took an additional 106 hours of attempts to finally pull off the perfect run needed to overcome the boss with such minimal health.
FromSoftware’s Elden Ring is already known for its punishing difficulty, with most players strategically leveling up their character’s vigor to survive the game’s devastating attacks. By refusing to increase his health pool, Gheesling basically turned every enemy encounter into a potential one-hit death scenario.
The marathon challenge showcased not just Gheesling’s gaming skills but his remarkable persistence. Each of those 3,469 deaths was a learning opportunity, requiring him to perfect his timing and strategy against enemies designed to frustrate even well-equipped players.
His achievement has earned praise across the gaming community, with fans calling it “peak gaming” and referring to Gheesling as “HIM”—internet shorthand for someone who has reached the pinnacle of their craft.
Some viewers who witnessed the journey expressed equal parts amazement and disbelief that he actually completed the seemingly impossible challenge.
Gheesling has built a reputation for these kinds of masochistic gaming challenges, where he deliberately makes already difficult games even harder through personal restrictions. This approach has proven particularly effective with FromSoftware titles like Elden Ring, where the baseline difficulty already pushes most casual players to their limits.
With this monumental achievement behind him, fans are already speculating about what impossible challenge Gheesling might take on next.
