The lights are on
UPDATE: With schoolwork piling up, Glen doesn't have a lot of free time on his hands, yet he's still managed to rack up over 32 hours into his Modern Warfare 2 no kill crusade.
In terms of rank, he's halfway there. He just reached level 35. He is also maintaining a respectable win/loss ratio. He's won 147 games, and only lost 116. His death tally is up to 3,329. As if I need to say it, he has not killed anyone yet.
Glen says that leveling is getting grueling. He says that he'll likely need to capture 100 flags to gain one level, and that number will only go up as he reaches higher ranks.
How is he holding up? "I've gotten a bit bored," he says. To keep the experience somewhat fresh, he's reverting back to his old gamertag where he can freely kill anyone. "I haven't lost my touch," he adds. "On the third game, I went 22 and 3."
Stick with it, Glen. We're all pulling for you (just don't read the comments below).
8/29 UPDATE: First off, I'd just like to say that this story is making me feel like a newscaster reporting on a boy stuck in a well. And it looks like I'll be cemented in this role for a while as Glen is only up to level 21. Along with his astonishing zero kills, Glen has died 1,339 times. I caught up with gaming's favorite pacifistic player, and although he admits that "things are already starting to slow down," he remains positive. "With my Tactical Insertion and smoke grenade combo, I'm getting more points than ever," Glen says confidently.
He's unlocked both Capture the Flag and Headquarters, but is finding that Domination works best for his no-kill crusade. "Worthwhile challenges are harder to get," Glen adds. "Any challenges at this point are rare. I got the blast shield, and within an hour I had all of the challenges for it."
Glen isn't killing anyone, but how are his point grabbing techniques affecting his teams? Apparently, you'll want him by your side. Glen has a winning record. He has 62 wins and 52 loses so far.
8/25 UPDATE : The Game Informer staff has started an office pool as to whether Glen will accomplish his goal. Game Informer associate editor Bryan Vore is putting his money on Glen accidentally killing someone before he reaches level 20. Senior editor Matt Helgeson sees Glen's streak ending at level 25. All around jerk Joe Juba believes Glen is in his losing match right now. I think he'll make it all the way to 70.
Since this story originally ran, Glen has reached level 11. He's only died 272 times. "Things have picked up a bit since I can get challenge points," comments Glen. "In an average Demolition game I get about 1,000 XP and 15 deaths. I have decided not to use special grenades; they're too risky. I've also decided to play Headquarters and Capture the Flag when I unlock them." Glen's change in play style greatly reduces the chance of him offing someone. If you're playing with Glen, please feel free to drop us a line with your perspective on this historic (not really) event.
ORIGINAL STORY: This feat may sound impossible, but for Game Informer reader and hardcore Modern Warfare 2 player Glen McCracken, it's only a matter of time. In two hours of playing, Glen has reached rank 5 without taking a life. Using pacifist means to earn points, Glen estimates it will take him roughly two months to be the first player to reach rank 70 with zero kills.
Why would someone attempt such a strange feat? "I've already hit Prestige five times. I thought it would be something interesting to do," Glen said. "It definitely gives you a different perspective on the game, and it's fun and challenging." Currently Glen's kill to death ratio is zero kills and eighty-nine deaths. He says he primarily uses a riot shield and flash bang grenades. Both of these tools can easily lead to a kill if an enemy is injured prior to engagement. Glen also uses rockets to blow up killstreaks. He also achieves valuable experience points by securing flags in Domination. He does play team deathmatch, and as you would expect, his teammates are not happy with his zero kill performances. Stick to Domination, Glen.
If you want to give Glen a hand in reaching his goal, he plays Modern Warfare 2 on the PlayStation 3 under the name Mr_No_Kills. We'll keep you updated on Glen's progress in the coming days and weeks.
Email the author Andrew Reiner, or follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Game Informer.
Cool beans. Instead of waiting for the developer to hand him something, he's making a game he likes more fun by introducing a new spin on it. And he's better than me, after the 3rd or so death, I'd break out the SCAR! I wish him the best.
3 letters: LOL
Rather play Halo 3.
Sounds like somebody is playing too much MW2... give BFBC2 a try already, or get a life, or anything but this.
That's pretty awesome. Good job, guy.
Wow, he's good.
If he accidentally kills somebody, I'm pretty sure if he turns his system off immediately it won't count it on his record.
Thank God he's on PS3. This is an extremely selfish thing to try. No matter how you slice it, if you're not trying your best to help your team, you shouldn't be playing. This is the typical person on MW2. Only plays for himself. I hope he fails.
good luck not killing someone on accident
Unfortunately I have to agree with the poster's who think he should try another game rather than this feat. While I applaud his attempt at something difficult, you would think that after hitting Prestige mode 5 times... he would realize that there are other games on the market.. and try something new. Anyway I digress...
Thats awesome. He better be careful with those special grenades...
The sad news for most of the people replying to this thread is that they've yet to realize that most of life is a waste of time, truly. This guy chooses to spend his challenging himself in new ways on his favorite video game. More power to him.
It would be preferable if he went a route that didn't hurt his teammates chances, but oh well.
That would drive me crazy, but I wish him the best of luck. It would really suck if he accidentally killed someone right before he hit 70 though.
What a man.
Pfft PS3 is easy. He'll have it done in a week.
Now that would be an interesting thing to see. I wish him luck in this endeavor.
Good luck man.
What was his name, Phil McCracken?
MW2 infuriates me far too much to actually even try that. I'd be too tempted to One Man Army Danger Close Grenade launch somebody. lol :)
gotta give him props... hes got some really skill to be able to play MW2 that much (the game got old after beating Spec Ops and Campaign, Online suck balls)