What first sounded like an internet joke has turned into a global cultural moment. On Twitch, a goldfish named “Tortellini,” owned by US streamer PointCrow, managed to defeat the final boss of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtreeexpansion live before thousands of viewers. The extraordinary AI-powered experiment has triggered debates about gaming, technology, streaming culture and the limits of digital creativity – and is now drawing attention in Britain’s tech and gaming communities, reports The WP Times.

How a fish tank became a controller

Eric “PointCrow” Morino, a well-known US content creator, has long experimented with unconventional gaming challenges. This time, he partnered with a programmer to design a machine learning system that transformed his goldfish’s movements into in-game commands.

  • The fish tank was divided into virtual zones, each corresponding to a specific action such as attack, dodge or heal.
  • A real-time AI algorithm tracked the fish’s position and converted its swimming patterns into precise keystrokes.
  • In effect, every dart across the aquarium became a tactical move against one of the toughest bosses in gaming.

Thus, Tortellini became an unlikely yet functional Twitch player.

Preparation worthy of an e-sports pro

PointCrow ensured the fish was not thrown into an impossible fight. The Elden Ring character was levelled up to 713, equipped with high-tier armour and boosted by strategic buffs:

  • Golden Vow for increased attack and defence,
  • Blessing of the Erdtree for regeneration and endurance,
  • Iron Jar Aromatic for physical resilience and stability.

Armed with the colossal weapon Great Stars, which inflicts bleeding damage, Tortellini managed to land decisive hits against Promised Consort Radahn, the expansion’s notorious final boss.

A boss fight that terrifies even veterans

Radahn is infamous in Elden Ring lore. His relentless attacks, unpredictable phases and resilience make him a nightmare even for skilled players. Many spend dozens of hours attempting to overcome him. That a goldfish, aided by AI, could prevail, instantly elevated the event into a viral spectacle.

Numbers and impact

The livestream reached a peak of over 42,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch and accumulated more than 2.3 million views in the first 48 hours. Edited clips on YouTube, TikTok and X (Twitter) quickly surpassed 15 million additional views.

According to gaming industry trackers, PointCrow’s single broadcast generated an estimated $25,000–30,000 in revenuefrom subscriptions, donations and sponsorship exposure.

PointCrow himself is no newcomer: his YouTube channel counts 1.8 million subscribers, while nearly 700,000 users follow him on Twitch.

Reactions from the community

When Radahn finally fell after more than eight hours of live play, PointCrow shouted: “That’s my goldfish!” while his chat erupted in celebration. Within hours, the story was reported by major outlets including PC Gamer, IGN and Gamespot. In the UK, it resonated across gaming forums, with discussions about the balance between AI innovation and gaming authenticity.

More than a gimmick

Observers stress that the spectacle is not just a curious meme. It demonstrates:

  • how AI and machine learning are reshaping entertainment,
  • how Twitch has become a cultural stage, blending science, humour and digital creativity,
  • and how gaming culture continually reinvents itself through experimentation.

As one British analyst noted: “This shows how technology can blur the line between human play,

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