Editing Cataclysm

{{IB-Level
 |image      = Cataclysm.png
 |id         = 3979721
 |creator    = [[Ggb0y]]
 |verifier   = Ggb0y (hack-verifier)<br>[[Cyclic]] (potentially original verifier)<br>Giron (deemed original verifier)<br>[[Riot]] (update verifier)
 |created    = [[Update 1.9]]
 |updated    = [[Update 2.0]]
 |difficulty = [[File:ExtremeDemon.png|x35px]]
 |stars      = 10
 |coins      = 3
 |length     = 1m 27s (Long)
 |objects    = 15,216
 |copytype   = Password (666777)
 |downloads  = 71.1M+
 |likes      = 1.6M+
 |rating     = Featured
 |artist     = [https://dimrain47.newgrounds.com/ Dimrain47]
 |music      = [https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/467339 At the Speed of Light]
 |musicid    = 467339
}}
'''Cataclysm''' is a [[Update 1.9|1.9]]/[[Update 2.0|2.0]] Extreme Demon level created and hack-verified by [[Ggb0y]], published on 2 January 2015. It is a hell-themed level with an exclusively red, orange, and black colour palette. It was later buffed in [[Update 2.0]] and verified by [[Riot]] in an update on 15 January 2016. Upon its release, Cataclysm was featured and instantly became the [[Demonlist Top 1 Levels|hardest Demon level]] in [[Geometry Dash]], historically tied with [[ICE Carbon Diablo X]]. The level received acclaim for its difficulty and design, and it was credited with popularising the red-and-black hell theme in Extreme Demon levels. 

Cataclysm remains the second most-downloaded and liked Extreme Demon in the game<ref>https://gdbrowser.com/search/*?diff=-2&demonFilter=5</ref> and one of the most popular and influential levels of all time, with its creation widely considered a turning point in the game's history.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jsajdpqWro</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/today_gd/status/1730369240711221404</ref> It is the first instalment of the 'Apocalyptic Trilogy' of hell-themed Extreme Demon levels, preceding [[Bloodbath]] and [[aftermath]].

==History==
On 30 December 2014, Ggb0y uploaded a fourth preview on YouTube showcasing his upcoming Extreme Demon named Cataclysm, set to be the hardest level in the game up to that point.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rtY0AAMWXo</ref> Some noted design cues reminiscent of the Rek3dge level Nitronic Freedom, as well as several cuts in the preview videos.

Ggb0y allegedly invested around 80,088 attempts to verify the level but was unable to beat it, resorting to hacking verification. Sometime later, players like ZorroZ Zet and Lyra Bandicoot claimed to have beaten it legitimately with video footage. However, they later confessed to hacking the level after suspicion arose from various game effects bugs visible in the replays, now known to be characteristic of speed-hacking.

Cataclysm was widely considered humanly impossible for a time. South Korean player Cyclic was thought to have completed it legitimately with his stream on 28 April 2015 and was initially considered the level's first victor or verifier. The completion propelled Cyclic's channel and popularity.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du7G0eTLOks</ref> However, he admitted to having completed the level and achieved all his significant milestones through hacking. Whether or not Cyclic's confession was the truth is debated, as there were no signs of illegitimacy in his completion of Cataclysm, unlike his two primary hacked completions, [[The Hell Zone]] and [[Sonic Wave]], with more easily detectable cheats.

After Cyclic's confession, Colombian player Giron became known and considered the first person to have legitimately beaten Cataclysm on 14 May 2015. He called the achievement his 'best work'.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B68E2wqkFiY</ref> Soon after, two other players named [[Sandstorm]]<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlwFaepyH64</ref> and Riot<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q0CYSDFpKk</ref> beat Cataclysm within the same day: 20 May 2015. Riot also received a significant popularity boost after completing the level, and it became considered one of his signature achievements. Powerbomb became the fourth victor on 10 July,<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCNFS01BSJo</ref> and Creepy Dash became the fifth on 25 July.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz609zVS4SQ</ref> Completions of Cataclysm began to snowball, and with the release of Bloodbath on 12 August 2015, Cataclysm was officially displaced from the position of the hardest verified Demon.

A year after its initial release, in Update 2.0, Ggb0y updated Cataclysm, with buffs to the ship sequences, the addition of an 'extra death', changes in gameplay throughout the level, and three user coins in the level. Riot legitimately verified the update on stream on 15 January 2016.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYt5fp5VGVs</ref> This version became known as New Cataclysm and is considered somewhat harder than Old Cataclysm.

Cataclysm went on to become one of the most influential and popular levels in Geometry Dash, revolutionising the difficulty precedent for what would become known as Extreme Demon levels after previously challenging yet illegitimately verified levels like [[Silent Club]] and the Hell Series. Cataclysm inspired other future levels such as Bloodbath, aftermath, and many more.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzAdJBAaQqY?t=1377</ref> As of [[Update 2.2]], Cataclysm is now considered one of the easiest Extreme Demon levels in the game, often said to be the ideal beginner Extreme Demon alongside [[Acu]].<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yr-n-62QI4</ref>

==Description==
Cataclysm depicts a red-and-black 'hell' theme, with an emphasis on ship and wave gameplay.

*'''0-6%:''' A half-speed cube sequence opens the level at a forgiving pace, introducing fake orbs and simple timings to ease in with the level.
*'''6-15%:''' A double-speed wave sequence follows, featuring tight spaces, multiple size-change portals, and irregular timings.
*'''15-19%:''' An auto sequence briefly transitions into a cube sequence with a single orb, with 'Cataclysm' and 'ggb0y' flashing on-screen.
*'''19-25%:''' A triple-speed ship sequence with numerous invisible size portals and gravity portals. Very light inputs and careful transition control are required throughout.
*'''25-27%:''' A mini-wave at half-speed, followed by a brief normal-size transition, with partial vision obstruction from the background.
*'''27-36%:''' A double-speed ball sequence demanding precise timing and spamming, settling into a half-speed segment with tight spaces and occasional speed changes.
*'''36-40%:''' A double-speed UFO sequence packed with orbs, gravity portals, and tight spaces with awkward timings.
*'''40-43%:''' A normal-speed ship sequence requiring precise straight-flying, with a mini and gravity portal mid-sequence, concluding with orb hits inside gravity portals.
*'''43-52%:''' The ship transitions into a triple-speed cube sequence demanding precise timing, followed by a half-speed mini-cube segment that primarily rewards spamming.
*'''52-63%:''' A dark sequence with intermittent flashing obstacles. Opens with a ball requiring spamming and precise timing, cycling through a mini-UFO, ball, mini-ship, and brief mini-cube jump before a short ball sequence closes it out.
*'''63-75%:''' A difficult mirrored half-speed ship sequence with precise straight-flying and tight mini-ship navigation midway. The ship normalises shortly before entering a dual sequence with tighter spaces and straight-flying, ending on a final straight-fly.
*'''75-84%:''' A tight, yet rather easy half-speed wave sequence, demanding nerve control and precision.
*'''84-87%:''' A short robot sequence offering brief respite, with simple orb jumps before the final stretch.
*'''87-90%:''' The final ship sequence passes through the iconic 'GBOY' area, with messages reading 'U NEED TO REST...' and 'GG' lining the walls, closing on one last straight-fly.
*'''90-100%:''' A hall of fame displays the players who conquered Cataclysm before the update, alongside Ggb0y's admission to hacking, an apology, and gratitude to Riot. This sequence is the level's quiet and honest farewell.

==User coins==
*The first coin is at 3% and is collected as the cube. To collect it, hit the blue orb late to launch into a sawblade that appears deadly, but instead redirects to the coin before teleporting back on course.
*The second coin is at 70% and is collected as the dual-ship, and is also the easiest of the three to collect. To collect it, fly between the spiked area in the first sequence of the dual ship, then exit through the narrow space and proceed with the level. This route is considered easier than the regular path.
*The third and final coin is at 85% and is collected as the robot. To collect it, hit the last blue orb and pass through the gravity portal. While inside, hit an invisible yellow orb to reach the coin. Alternatively, hit the blue orb late to allow the robot to brush past the coin.

==Gameplay==
{{VC|UE1kK_VSfiU}}

==Trivia==
*Upon the creation of the modern [[Demonlist (Pointercrate)|Demonlist]] on Pointercrate on 4 January 2017, Cataclysm was placed at #22, above ICE Carbon Diablo X and below Heartbeat.
*The old version of Cataclysm is regarded as the 16th instance of the hardest rated level in the game's history.
*Cataclysm was ranked #9 in Geometry Dash Today's list of 'The Top 100 Greatest Geometry Dash Levels Of All Time'.<ref>https://x.com/today_gd/status/1730369240711221404</ref>
*There is a level called AfterCataBath, initially created by Zimnyte, combining Cataclysm, Bloodbath and aftermath into a single level. A remake of AfterCataBath, titled [[Apocalyptic Trilogy]], is its super-buffed and redecorated version. Cataclysm directly inspired Bloodbath and aftermath, which serve as direct extensions to it, with hundreds of other levels inspired by it.
**Cataclysm directly inspired Bloodbath and aftermath; these two levels serve as direct extensions to Cataclysm, and hundreds of other levels are also inspired by it.
*The ship sequence from 19% to 25% was one of the few parts completely overhauled after Update 2.0, originally featuring mirror portals without size portals.
*Several players, like the popular Lyra Bandicoot, used hacks to complete Cataclysm. A wave of videos showing hackers in the game was attributed to the numerous hacked videos of Cataclysm.
*Riot is the first player confirmed to have beaten Cataclysm more than once, completing all three runs in live streams, with the last being a re-verification of Cataclysm for Ggb0y to update coins into the level.
*Cyclic had admitted to allegedly hacking Cataclysm, which has led many to consider Giron as the first player to beat it legitimately. However, whether or not Cyclic's confession was truthful is still debated, as there were no signs of illegitimacy in his completion of Cataclysm. Sandstorm and Riot completed the level a week after Giron, making them the second and third players to beat Cataclysm. Powerbomb soon followed as the fourth, and Creepy Dash as the fifth.
*The hall of fame at the end of Cataclysm includes the players who beat it before the update. This list comprises the following players: Cyclic, Giron David, Sandstorm, Riot, Powerbomb, Creepy Dash, MaxiS9, MrKebab, [[Smokes]], SoulsTRK, Danilkaz, Elite, R3YGA, and Mabby01.
*Sandstorm is the second player to beat the updated version of Cataclysm, getting all three coins in the process, followed by Kins0, [[Quasar]], [[Brandon Larkin]], and [[Surv]].
*[[TrusTa]] created a level consisting of Old Cataclysm twice back-to-back, called 'Multi Clysm'. TrusTa has also beaten Cataclysm almost 30 times.
*[[SrGuillester]] was the first to beat the old version of Cataclysm on 60Hz and the up arrow key on 22 February 2016.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCzplfBjj_U</ref>
**SrGuillester also beat the updated version of Cataclysm on 60Hz a year later.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us18wOBAX60</ref>
**The up arrow key is commonly used by skilled players on the Demonlist nowadays.
*There is a redecorated and redone version of Old Cataclysm made by [[LazerBlitz]] called Quest For Perfection, using a blue-and-black colour scheme and replacing the last wave of Cataclysm with a difficult mixed dual. Most other parts of the level are merged. Quest For Perfection is considered easier than Cataclysm.
*Cataclysm is one of the most defeated Extreme Demons, as well as one of the most defeated Demons that used to be on the Demonlist.
*Ggb0y's level [[Infernal Abyss]] is the official sequel to Cataclysm. Although the idea for the level was dropped when Bloodbath, the spiritual sequel to Cataclysm, was released, [[Manix648]] and Bianox later finished the decoration. The level was hack-verified by YGYoshI, and [[BlassCFB]] was the first person to complete it legitimately.
*There is a buffed remake of Cataclysm called Armageddon.
*On 1 April 2021, RobTop deleted all the comments of Cataclysm.
*Cataclysm is the level with the highest number of completions on the [https://aredl.net All Rated Extreme Demons List] (AREDL), standing at over 4,903 victors.
**Bloodbath is the second most completed level on the AREDL, amassing over 4,255 victors.
*The placements of super probably level, Titan Complex, and Annihilation Nation on 1 February 2019 pushed Cataclysm into the Legacy List of the Demonlist.
**In June 2019, the Demonlist expanded from 100 to 150 spots, pushing Cataclysm back into the Extended List.
***However, the placement of Zettabyte on 2 September 2019 pushed Cataclysm back into the Legacy List.
{{Togglebox
 |header = Notable fails
 |body   = <nowiki />
;New version
*Jamby failed at 74% three times.
*ChrisCredible failed at 77%.
*Ninetales failed at 81%.
*Theo failed at 82%.
*MaxiS9 and Cerni failed at 89%.
*hotball1, SrMusca, Slypp, Squad, Rusty, and NothingIsScary<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv5kzQ6jVak</ref> have all failed at 90%, with Rusty failing at 90% four times.
*FinnStreams failed at 90% twice on mobile and dropped Cataclysm entirely after.

;Old version
*SoulsTRK failed at 74% twice.
*Mosos failed at 82%.
*MaxiS9 failed at 88%.
*Elite, Nexus, and [[Quasar]] have all failed at 89%.
*[[Riot]] failed accidentally after the last wave sequence.
*R3YGA and YGYoshI failed at the 91% bug.
*[[SrGuillester]] failed at 93% due to celebrating too early, caused by accidentally touching the trackpad and jumping at the auto part at the very end.
}}

==Videos==
{{VC|Ezkrm5NOwU4|B68E2wqkFiY|vGV4j8C66JY|sWM54ODO8go
 |cpt1 = Potential original verification
 |cpt2 = Deemed original verification 
 |cpt3 = Update verification 
 |cpt4 = Old version
}}

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Demon List levels]]