InfernoPlus
{{Short description|YouTuber and video game modder}}
{{Infobox YouTube personality
| name = InfernoPlus
| nationality = American
| occupation = Programmer
| channel_website = https://www.youtube.com/@InfernoPlus
| years_active = 2009–present
| genre = Gaming
| subscribers = 785 thousand
| subscriber_date = February 2023
| views = 120 million
| view_date = February 2023
}}
InfernoPlus is an American YouTuber and video game modder. He is most well known for his modifications of Dark Souls and Halo games that introduce unusual or surreal gameplay elements. His major projects include Mario Royale and Dark Souls: Remastest.
Career
InfernoPlus has developed modifications for several video games, including entries in the Dark Souls, Halo, and Super Smash Bros. franchises. Many of these modifications introduce surreal elements, described by InfernoPlus as "cursed".{{Cite web |last=Tu |first=Trumann |date=2021-11-06 |title=Dark Souls Mod Turns The Game Into Third-Person Shooter, Adds Halo Guns |url=https://gamerant.com/dark-souls-third-person-shooter-mod-halo-guns/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}
In 2019, InfernoPlus began the development of a battle royale game by modifying Super Mario Bros., telling NPR it followed the idea that "you can make anything into a battle royale". The game was developed off and on over a period of several months, and released as Mario Royale.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Dexter |date=2019-06-20 |title=The Creator of "Mario Royale" Wants You to Play His Game Before It Gets Banned |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/kzmykz/the-creator-of-mario-royale-wants-you-to-play-his-game-before-it-gets-banned |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Vice |language=en}} It was released as a browser game, implementing a modified gameplay that included 75 players racing across a level of Super Mario Bros. while combating one another with the game's power-ups.{{Cite web |last=Alexandra |first=Heather |date=2019-06-20 |title=Someone Turned Mario Into A Battle Royale, And It's The Best Thing |url=https://kotaku.com/someone-turned-mario-into-a-battle-royale-and-its-the-1835694230 |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Kotaku |language=en}} It attracted approximately one thousand players in its first day and received media attention.{{Cite news |last=Acovino |first=Vincent |date=2020-10-05 |title='Super Mario Bros. 35' Evokes Nintendo's Strained Relationship With Fan Developers |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/05/919178106/super-mario-35-evokes-nintendo-s-strained-relationship-with-fan-developers |access-date=2023-02-07}} Super Mario Bros. owner Nintendo sent InfernoPlus a cease and desist notice on June 21. In response, InfernoPlus removed all Nintendo-owned assets from the game and re-released it as Infringio Royale.{{Cite news |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=2019-06-22 |title=Fan-made Mario Royale is now Infringio Royale after apparent cease and desist |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/fan-made-mario-royale-is-now-infringio-royale-after-apparent-cease-and-desist |access-date=2023-02-07}} New assets were created, and it was re-released again as DMCA Royale. Nintendo continued to request the game's removal, and InfernoPlus removed the game from his website. Despite this, two regularly maintained versions of Mario Royale remain up to this day, both by separate teams: Mario Royale Legacy{{Cite web |url=https://marioroyale.com/legacy/ |title=Mario Royale Legacy |website=marioroyale.com |access-date=2024-11-02}} and Mario Royale Remake.{{Cite web |url=https://mroyale.net |title=Mario Royale Remake |website=mroyale.net |access-date=2024-11-02}} Mario Royale received additional coverage after Nintendo released the similar Super Mario Bros. 35 the following year.{{Cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Patricia |date=2020-09-08 |title=Mario battle royale creator reacts to Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. 35 reveal |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/8/21427205/super-mario-bros-35-battle-royale-fan-game-nintendo-switch-shutdown |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}
Also in 2019, InfernoPlus developed Cursed Halo, a variant of Halo: Combat Evolved that incorporated strange and silly variations on standard in-game weapons, vehicles, and enemies.{{Cite web |last=Lowry |first=Brendan |date=2020-06-12 |title=This mod transforms Halo: Combat Evolved into a cursed nightmare |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/mod-transforms-halo-combat-evolved-cursed-nightmare |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Windows Central |language=en}} He expanded upon the mod with another that produced over-sized in-game vehicles with distorted proportions.{{Cite web |last=Lowry |first=Brendan |date=2020-08-07 |title=Drive map-sized Warthogs with this Halo: Combat Evolved mod. For reasons. |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/drive-map-sized-warthogs-halo-combat-evolved-mod |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Windows Central |language=en}} Another high-profile mod released by InfernoPlus in 2019 was Skyrim 76, a parody of poorly-received elements in Fallout 76.{{Cite web |last=Henry |first=Jasmine |date=2019-01-09 |title=Skyrim Mod Ruthlessly Mocks Fallout 76 |url=https://gamerant.com/skyrim-mod-fallout-76-howard/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Game Rant |language=en}} In 2020, InfernoPlus released Halo Kart, which added Mario Kart gameplay to Halo: Combat Evolved.{{Cite news |last=Macgregor |first=Jody |date=2021-03-28 |title=Here's Mario Kart in Halo |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-mario-kart-in-halo/ |access-date=2023-02-07}}
In 2021, InfernoPlus developed a mod for Dark Souls that incorporated the gameplay mechanics and assets of Halo, including weapons and maps as well as custom animations to accommodate the changes. Development took place with the support of other modders over a period of three months.{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Will |date=2021-11-07 |title='Dark Souls' mod adds 'Halo' content and multiplayer maps |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/dark-souls-mod-adds-halo-content-and-multiplayer-maps-3089101 |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=NME |language=en-GB}} Development began when InfernoPlus recreated the Halo map Blood Gulch in Dark Souls to practice custom map development.{{Cite web |last=White |first=Lewis |date=2021-02-03 |title=Dark Souls gets Halo-themed PvP in this awesome mod - MSPoweruser |url=https://mspoweruser.com/dark-souls-gets-halo-themed-pvp-this-awesome-mod/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=mspoweruser.com |language=en-US}} The mod was built on top of the Dark Souls player versus player mode "Battle of Stoicism", and it was released alternatively under the names Dark Souls: Remastest{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Iain |date=2021-11-09 |title=Dark Souls modder recreates Halo maps, ends up overhauling multiplayer |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/dark-souls-prepare-to-die-edition-0/multiplayer-mod-halo-maps |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=PCGamesN |language=en-US}} and Dark Souls: Remastester on Patreon.{{Cite web |last=Donovan |first=Imogen |date=2021-11-06 |title=Ridiculous 'Dark Souls' Mod Adds Halo's Needler And More Guns To Game |url=https://www.gamingbible.com/news/dark-souls-ridiculous-mod-adds-halo-needler-and-more-guns-to-the-game-20211106 |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Gaming Bible |language=en}} The modification was announced on InfernoPlus' YouTube channel in the video "Dark Souls Except It's Incredibly Cursed".{{Cite web |last=Bellingham |first=Hope |date=2021-11-10 |title=Dark Souls mod meets Halo as The Needler comes to Lordran |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/dark-souls-mod-meets-halo-as-the-needler-comes-to-lordran/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Gamesradar |language=en}} An Among Us variation was released later that year.{{Cite web |last=Kuhnke |first=Oisin |date=2021-11-30 |title=This Mod Lets You Play Among Us In Dark Souls |url=https://www.gamebyte.com/this-mod-lets-you-play-among-us-in-dark-souls/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=GameByte |language=en-GB}}
In 2022, InfernoPlus developed Halocraft, a mod for Halo 3 that incorporates elements of Minecraft, including a destructible environment.{{Cite news |last=Stanton |first=Rich |date=2022-11-04 |title=Minecraft in Halo 3 is a destructible delight |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-in-halo-3-is-a-destructible-delight/ |access-date=2023-02-07}} Also in 2022, InfernoPlus received attention in the gaming community for his development of a humorous strategy in Elden Ring in which he defeated the infamously difficult boss fights by summoning an in-game ally and then having his player character lie on the ground in a fetal position.{{Cite web |last=Winslow |first=Levi |date=2022-03-21 |title=Elden Ring Fan Beats Multiple Bosses While Curled In A Fetal Position |url=https://kotaku.com/elden-ring-spirit-ash-summon-banished-knight-oleg-froms-1848680330 |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Kotaku |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kuhnke |first=Oisin |date=2022-03-22 |title=Elden Ring Player Beats Bosses While Doing Basically Nothing |url=https://www.gamebyte.com/elden-ring-player-beats-bosses-while-doing-basically-nothing/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=GameByte |language=en-GB}}
Personal life
InfernoPlus lives in the Southern United States and has not publicly revealed his legal name. He considers the production of YouTube videos to be his job.