Donkey Kong has a new world-record holder. Wes Copeland has ousted rival Robbie Lakeman with a score of 1,190,000.
The highly contested title has a legacy of drama; Copeland held the record back in September for six precious hours before it was taken away by Lakeman. The two were dueling one another at the Donkey Kong Online Open 2015 when the title passed between them.
According to DonkeyKongBlog, which reported on the new record, Copeland was left “emotionally scarred” by the September incident. He redoubled his training, and on January 3 it paid off.
Lakeman fought briefly last week to take his title back, but it didn’t last long. “Wes, definitely enjoy it,” he conceded, “The torch has now been passed.”
Eventually, the record will no longer be breakable. According to an ESPN special called The Last Kings of Kong, experts estimate that the highest possible score is somewhere around 1,265,000, but no one knows for certain.
“I kinda feel like I’ve done everything I need to now,” Copeland was quoted after his comeback win. “I just hope Robbie at least lets me sleep on it.”
Watch a video of Copeland’s record-breaking run on Twitch.
