Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

An ‘Overwatch’ player just passed level 1,800, all it took was 17 hours a day

Kevin Parrish
By

overwatch maxime tazzerk level 1800 passes gold portrait players 01
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Players take on a certain burden when they tackle a new video game. It’s them against the developer to see who has the better skills — programming versus twitching. Outsiders seemingly just don’t understand the need for the marathon sessions required to completely pound a game into the ground and then perform the traditional victory dance. Throw in human components as well, and that victory reaches a whole new level. Just ask Maxime.

Eurogamer reports that “Maxime the Frenchman” set out to be the first player to reach level 1,800 in Overwatch and has done just that. Those who reach this level earn the golden portrait frame with five golden stars. That’s a virtual frame, by the way, and not one made of pure gold, unfortunately.

Recommended Videos

According to Maxime (aka Tazzerk), he reached level 1,800 by playing Overwatch for 16 to 17 hours on most days. Considering the Earth makes one complete rotation in 24 hours, that leaves seven hours for sleeping and other bodily functions. He claims that he is never tired and that the overall playtime it took to reach level 1,800 was around 1,700 hours (MasterOverwatch reports 1,486 hours). Perhaps he is hooked up to a continuous supply of coffee intravenously.

So what happens now? It’s certainly not game over for Maxime. Once he reached level 1,801, the golden portrait remained but the displayed level number was reset to one. He believes that Blizzard will eventually add platinum and diamond borders in the near future as additional players begin to break through level 1,800 as well.

Maxime’s Overwatch profile can be found here. Roadhog appears to be his favorite with 5,152 games and 637 hours played with this character alone. Following Roadhog is Reaper (2,906 games), Soldier: 76 (1,173 games), McCree (1,146 games), and Winston (518 games). His best win rate is with Genji at 60 percent so far, but he has only played with that character for five games.

Eurogamer previously reported Maxime was the first to hit level 1,000 at the beginning of September. He posted the achievement on Twitter, which displayed his portrait with a silver frame and three silver stars. At the time, he wouldn’t state how he managed to spend 16 to 17 hours per day playing Overwatch. Instead, he said he loves the game and the challenge it brings.

roadhog image overwatch
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“It’s not my first rush. I really like it. I started the rush when I knew I could be the first,” he told the site. Later he explained that the “rush” meant racing to grab the highest attainable character level in any game, whether it’s Overwatch or other online games he previously played such as Aura Kingdom and Swordsman.

Overwatch landed on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC on May 24. The game is multiplayer only, pitting two teams of six against each other. Currently, there is no known level cap, meaning the door is open for Blizzard to offer additional portraits and perks soon. So far, the company has not officially congratulated Maxime for his achievement.

Now that level 1,800 is behind him, Maxime’s new goal is to make the top 500 during season three of Competitive Play. That begins on Friday, which will see changes to the Skill Rating and Skill Tiers. Blizzard’s Scott Mercer said at the end of October that the team wants to keep things fair for everyone playing this season.

Topics
Kevin Parrish
Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
All Trinkets in Tales of Kenzera: Zau, explained
The main character of Tales of Kenzera: Zau stands with two elemental items.

Your main upgrades in a metroidvania like Tales of Kenzera: Zau will always be your new abilities. These transform the way you move and fight, but there are other ways you can make Zau a more powerful shaman. Trinkets are introduced right away, but aren't given away as freely as you might think. Each one requires you to overcome a small trial that tests your platforming abilities off the main path. Technically, you can miss every single one aside from the one you begin the game with. Even though there are a few fast travel points, backtracking isn't a particularly fun experience. Here are all the Trinket locations in Tales of Kenzera: Zau, plus which ones you should equip.
All Trinket locations
You can see which zones have Trinkets on the map, and for the most part, you will be able to grab them as you navigate through them for the first time. Here are each of the Trinket locations roughly in the order you should naturally be able to get them.
Battering Stance
This is the Trinket you begin the game with and is equipped by default.
Lifted Spirit

The first Trinket is found in this side path trial in The Buluu Caverns.
Retaliating Spirit

Read more
How to start The Forgotten Kingdom DLC in Remnant 2
Invoker

Remnant 2 is a massive game that already boasts nearly endless replayability, but that isn't stopping developer Gunfire Games from adding even more to do in the popular looter shooter. The game's new DLC, The Forgotten Kingdom, provides players with a substantial amount of extra stuff to check out, such as new biomes to explore, an additional archetype known as The Invoker, and plenty of fresh enemies to take down. If you're ready to see all of what The Forgotten Kingdom DLC has to offer, read on to learn how to access it from within the game.
How to start The Forgotten Kingdom DLC
The first step in accessing The Forgotten Kingdom DLC is to ensure you've purchased and downloaded it. You can buy the standalone version from your respective storefront for $10, or you can opt to snag the $25 bundle, which includes The Awakened King, The Forgotten Kingdom, and another future DLC that has yet to be announced. If you intend to play the full trilogy of DLCs, the former is your best option, as you'll save five bucks off the total cost of all three.

Once you've purchased and downloaded the DLC, you'll be ready to access The Forgotten Kingdom by visiting a World Stone and opening Adventure Mode. You'll need to have completed the Yaesha biome at least one time. At that point, you can select "Reroll Adventure Mode" and choose The Forgotten Kingdom: One Shot on the right, which will notably give you exclusive DLC content your first time through. Keep in mind that while this initial run won't feature any older content, your subsequent playthroughs of Yaesha will weave DLC areas in with main campaign content.

Read more
All Baobab Tree locations in Tales of Kenzera
Zau fights a dragon in Tales of Kenzera: Zau.

While it wasn't marketed as being a particularly punishing game, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is by no means easy. You will have plenty of environmental challenges that can instantly sap your life, and the enemies you face -- especially the bosses -- are no slouches. When you first begin, it will only take a couple of bad hits to send Zau to the land of the dead himself. Alongside the Trinkets you can unlock through hidden challenges around the map, there are also Baobab Trees where Zau can stop to reflect on his journey thus far, have a short dialogue with Kalunga, and get a small addition to his health bar. Like everything in the game, these trees aren't prohibitively hidden, but you could easily pass one by and have no idea where it was when trying to backtrack. These are all the Baobab Tree locations so you can max out your health bar.
All Baobab Tree locations
There are six Baobab Trees to find in Tales of Kenzera: Zau and each adds a small segment of health to your total. When you collect them all, you will roughly double your HP bar. Here are each of their locations in the rough order you should naturally find them in. Most can be picked up on your first time through that area.
Ikakaramba

This one is very hard to miss as it is directly on your critical path. If you do, you can fast travel to the nearby campfire to grab it.
The Great Cliffs

Read more