'Breath of the Wild' Speedrun: Players are already racing through the new 'Zelda' game

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been sold as a game where you can run straight to the final boss and finish the game from the starting area. While that's true, it definitely isn't easy. However, that hasn't deterred ambitious Zelda: Breath of the Wild speedrunners.

The game has been out for almost a week now, and speedrunners are already finding ways to defeat Calamity Ganon within just two hours.

Warning: Some of the videos shared in this article contain spoilers for the game's ending.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild is already being conquered by speedrunners

According to Kotaku, one player was running through the game before it even came out, thanks to an advance copy. SethBling on YouTube found a way to get to (but not defeat) the final boss in just 12 minutes.

Of course, getting to the final boss and defeating the final boss are two different things entirely. There are weapons and gear to collect in Hyrule Castle itself, so it's only a matter of time before speedrunners figure out the fastest ways to get effective gear before the fight with Calamity Ganon. Venick409 has completed the game in just over an hour.

Since the game is new, speedrunners are only just now scratching the surface of what is possible with the game's improvisational design and complex physics engine. As a bonus, check out this new mode of traversal Venick409 found.

This is going to be a ton of fun to see going forward. Nintendo basically designed this game to be speedrun-able, leaving it up to runners themselves to come up with the best ways to do it. That boulder trick is an example of what is so damn mind-blowing about Zelda: Breath of the Wild. We can't wait to see what else speedrunners cook up.

More Zelda: Breath of the Wild news and guides

Find out all there is to know about Zelda: Breath of the Wild, including what to expect from the Wii U version, how to preserve your items, how to beat bosses like the Stone Talus and Lynel, the best recipes for Link and how to take on the game's shrines. You'll also want to find out where all the great fairies in the game and how to use amiibo with your version of Zelda.