Forsen’s latest Minecraft speedrun attempt ended in disaster when he constructed a Nether portal so cramped that viewers immediately dubbed it a “portal for ants.”
The streamer was using a common speedrunning technique that involves building a portal directly from a lava pool rather than mining obsidian blocks. The method works by carefully placing water to convert lava source blocks into obsidian in the shape of a portal frame. When executed properly, it saves crucial time during the early game.
But Forsen’s execution went sideways. The water and lava interaction generated cobblestone in the wrong places, blocking parts of the portal interior, and creating an awkwardly small entry space. While he successfully lit the portal and activated it, the resulting structure was so cramped and inefficient that it became a massive time sink.
The mistake matters because Nether portal construction is a make-or-break moment in Minecraft speedruns. Players need to enter the Nether quickly to collect blaze rods from Nether fortresses and trade gold for ender pearls with Piglins. Both items are required to reach the End dimension and finish the run. Any delay or complication during portal construction can immediately kill a competitive attempt.
When speedrun tech goes wrong
The clip shows exactly why the lava pool portal method is high-risk despite being faster than traditional mining. Flowing water touching flowing lava creates cobblestone instead of obsidian. A single misplaced water bucket or poorly-timed block placement can obstruct the portal frame or fill the interior space with unwanted blocks.
Viewers reacted with a mix of sympathy and humor. One commenter sarcastically praised the build as a “T1 portal,” speedrun slang for rating portal quality. Another called it a “Hobbit portal” due to its miniature size. Several users noted the run “was dead anyway,” suggesting either the portal error sealed an already failing pace or the attempt was behind schedule from the start.
