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Watching the world's best Tetris players will make your brain melt

These people aren't human.

Mark Serrels Editorial Director
Mark Serrels is an award-winning Senior Editorial Director focused on all things culture. He covers TV, movies, anime, video games and whatever weird things are happening on the internet. He especially likes to write about the hardships of being a parent in the age of memes, Minecraft and Fortnite. Definitely don't follow him on Twitter.
Mark Serrels
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The Tetris Company

On Sunday the 2018 Classic Tetris World Championships in Portland, Oregon wrapped up and the final threw up a bit of a curveball.

Jonas Neubauer, a seven time Tetris world champion, was knocked off his perch by Joseph Saelee, a 16-year-old prodigy who is somewhat new to the scene. For context, this was sort of like watching Serena Williams lose to Naomi Osaka at the US Open.

Below you can watch the moment Saelee clinched the title.

The Classic Tetris World Championships started in 2010 and Jonas Neubauer has featured heavily since its inception. Until this year he had won seven out of the eight previous world championships. He is now seven for nine, and has placed second twice.

Watching competitive Tetris can make you feel like a sub-par human being at the best of times. It is high level decision-making combined with ridiculous reflexes. Watching the two best Tetris players in the world duke it out side-by-side is something special indeed. These people are operating on a higher place of existence.

Saelee won $1,000 for his troubles. You can check out more high level Tetris competition here.

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