Guy Plays Far Cry 4 in Himalayas At Elevation Of 18,569 Feet

Far Cry 4 has set a new world record, but it's not for a marathon session or related to any in-game feat. Ubisoft announced today that contest winner Will Cruz played the open-world game in the Himalayan mountain range recently, at an elevation of 18,569 feet above sea level--that's more than three miles high. The publisher says this sets a Guinness World Record for "Highest Altitude Video Game Console Session."

Cruz, a 23-year-old from Provo, Utah, was chosen to fly to Nepal and participate in the expedition as part of the nationwide contest that was announced during San Diego Comic-Con in July. According to Ubisoft, Cruz--a "hiking enthusiast"--had never traveled outside of the United States before his trip to Nepal--he also visited Kathmandu, Khumjung Monastery, and the Khumbu Glacier as part of it.

For the Far Cry 4 competition, Cruz traveled to Mt. Everest Base Camp and hiked to the summit of Kala Patthar, one of the mountains in the same range as Everest. He hiked to the peak with a team of 15 people, including sherpas, a video crew, and a caravan of yaks that were responsible for carrying the TV, generator, and gaming equipment needed to play Far Cry 4.

Cruz reached the peak of Kala Patthar on October 11, and played Far Cry 4 on PlayStation 4 for 79 minutes. During his playtime, he faced wind gusts of up to 25mph, temperatures that reached as low as 17 degrees Fahrenheit, and of course the reduced oxygen levels of such a height.

Check out some images of Cruz's world record attempt in the gallery below.