Phobos

**Composer** | Solkrieg

****Phobos**** is an Extreme Demon hosted by GMTSean and created by Tygrysek and other more creators. The level was considered as the second hardest level in Geometry Dash. However, it was downgraded due to hacks. the original level, however, was near-impossible and was later nerfed.

On May 12, 2016, Krazyman50 verified the level legitimately. The level has since been re-uploaded under his account where it regained its own demon rating. Surv beat it later on May 23, 2016, and Atomic beat it on August 18, 2016. Since then, three more players, SoulsTRK, Sunix and BlassCFB, have beaten it.

## Backstory

**Phobos** began as a mega-collab hosted by a former top 20 player named GMTSean. He has posted it in a Geometry Dash Facebook group back on April 2015 (note that group was the original one which has more than 21,000 members).

GMTSean has given 20 places for players and creators, each were chosen based on their skills and abilities in the game and creating levels.

One of the first players to get involved was Tygrysek, then Andromeda himself. Later on, many bigger names get involved in the mega-collaboration, including Smokes, Jo2000 and Skitten. However, contacting bigger names were be difficult, the level was around 65% built before WOOGI1411 was invited there.

In May 2015, the mega-collaboration, now named "**Phobos**", was fully built. The team tried to contact Riot to verify, however he declined the offer. After that, the team begins to ask questions about who can verify this intense mega-collaboration. Some of the creators tried to verify it themselves. However, the furthest one was Riqirez, who has reached 50% after nearly 30,000 attempts. However, after one day, Tygrysek informed the team that he has verified it. The level was then uploaded in November 2015 and got featured demon almost instantly.

However, hacking accusations started to arise, as Tygrysek couldn't have possibly beaten such an extreme demon (at the time it was unnerfed) without footage in just a day. One of the first players to expose him was Loogiah, a popular Italian player and creator in-game. One day, he and Riot tipped off RobTop that Tygrysek hacked the level. This in turn caused Tygrysek to be threatened that the level will be unrated, unless it's verified legitimately.

On November 29th 2015, Tygrysek deleted the level's contents and made it a free demon. The description was changed to this:

> "I'm Sick of this thing. It was supposed to be a fun megacollab, it ended bad. Sorry for hacking this... RobTop please remove it."
>
>

However, a moment before the level was going get unrated, he had a change of heart and returned the level, this time with more visuals. The level remained demon rated. However, RobTop was later tipped-off again, the level got unrated, and was eventually deleted from the servers. This caused several rumors that one of the level's creators has a copy of the original level.

Since then, nobody ever tried this challenge, although there were several hacked copies floating around. WOOGI1411 once posted a video of the nerfed version, perhaps nerfed by himself (or maybe Tygrysek). That version was nerfed in 5 places (GMTSean, Palery, Kubson, Andromeda, and Riquirez), and WOOGI's popularity made many people look into it, and that caused even more players seeking the unnerfed version.

In early 2016, Krazyman50 took on the project of being the first to beat Phobos, using the nerfed version by WOOGI. He verified it after a few months of practice and 30,000 attempts. After Surv also beat it on stream, Robtop rated and featured it. It immediately rose to #2 on the demons list, just below Bloodbath (for that time).

To this day, Kubson is trying to beat Phobos X, the original, unnerfed version of the level so that he can release it legitimately to the public. He is currently at 40%.

## Gameplay

**KoBaZz** - The level starts off with a confusing but simple mini cube part which requires crucial timing, filled with fake jump rings and gravity portals.

**Tandrii (Honeyb)** - The background and ground turns dark, and will enter a wave mode, which is moderately hard, Acropolis-like and requires crucial timing. The colored spikes in the Honeyb part will slightly change into black and white, then the cube mode which will last for a second will come and changes into a hard mini wave mode. The seemingly obvious route is blocked by a sawblade and requires to go under, then you will see Honeyb's name.

**TechneT** - Another cube part similar to those of KoBaZz's follows up but is slightly harder and needs more crucial timing. The design of his part is similar to those of Steam Chamber by Darnoc. It also resembles his own demon rated level, called Mechanic Megaforce.

**GMTSean** - A very confusing UFO and requires very precise timing and jumps.

**Jobet** - A slow ship part with somewhat tight spaces. The ship has gravity changes, a couple of mirror portals, speed and gravity portals that easily confuse inexperienced players. After this, Jobet's name will be seen.

**NiTro451 (formerly Eduard0)** - This is a wave segment that is extremely difficult due to tight spaces, saw-blades and double speed.

**iBlade** - The player transitions to a mini ball. This part is tricky and requires more timing and jumps, especially switching gravity at the very end of platforms to avoid a spike on the other side. This is followed by a very tight wave with gravity portals. iBlade's name moves up letter by letter at the start of this wave, suggesting it was added during 2.0, iBlade's part closely resembles WOOGI's part in The Ultimate Phase.

**Palery** - A mini ship with many speed changes, designed to throw the player off. A triple speed mini wave with invisible slopes follows, but is rather simple in comparison to some parts of the level. (Originally, the first double-speed portal has a pink jump ring spike jump which is ridiculously hard)

x**Smokes (TerraSmokes)** - The level's color suddenly changes into green. The player turns into a mini ball. This part has an annoying amount of precise timing, and most of the level composes of fake lining and invisible platforms. Then comes a UFO with purple background.

**Jo2000** - It starts with a half speed ship with jump rings, gravity portals and extremely tight spaces. Halfway through, the player goes mini and completes the ship. (As seen in the picture above)

**DreamEater** - a hard triple speed wave with a gravity switch halfway, then another straight fly segment with size changes and gravity portals everywhere. There is a brief wave section towards the end.

**Tygrysek -** a triple speed dual ship which briefly becomes half speed in the middle.

**Iqrar99 -** A really hard mixed dual of UFO and Ball mode, similar to Ditched Machine.

**Skitten** - A normal speed ship with clusters of sawblades. The part has many gravity portals and yellow jump rings that are hard to time. The player suddenly changes to a UFO with many gravity portals and more jump rings.

**Kubs0n** - In the old version, this part starts off with a mini ship, than changes to a mini wave leading through tight spaces, difficult timings and hard to notice objects. The mini wave game-play is slightly similar to a part from Sonic Wave. In the nerfed version, rather than being in the mini-wave, the player is a regular wave instead.

**Andromeda** - It resembles the looks of Andromeda's collab Lunatic Doom Machine, that is filled with crosses, with an upside down half speed ship with a 1 block straight fly. The ship is originally mini. However, it became a normal ship due to Kubs0n's part being nerfed with a normal ship/wave mode.

**Caernarvon725** - Made after the release of 2.0, this ball sequence has many tight spaces, speed and size portals, and crucial timing. "Caernarvon" can be seen towards the end.

**Razur** - His name appears, then the player is teleported up to a short, but hard UFO part with moving obstacles requiring somewhat difficult timings.

**WOOGI** - The game-mode will become a ship, then a short ball mode, then a ship again. A rotating group of saw-blades, being rotated by a move trigger which needs to be dodged, if not, can be hit. This part requires a notorious amount of straight fly and is quite difficult. A robot part will seen but last for a second, then back to a triple speed cube. A "Take a Break" text will appear. (Originally, it says "You went too far nub, now DIE." and the background is gray in color as well as the text is not moving)

**Riqirez** - The last
part is a mini ship, with a cluster of small invisible spikes and blocks, portals, jump pads, and jump rings can be seen, resembling NePtunE's demon Doomsday II (albeit in ship mode). There are crosses made out of gradient decoration can be seen. Beforehand, it was a near-impossible non-sync mini ship/cube section but was made just a mini ship after the nerf.

The level will end as a hall of the people who participated in the megacollab, with the sentence: "Congratulations! You have completed one of the hardest megacollabs in GD!". Underneath is 'Hacked by Tygrysek' then is replaced by 'Verified by Krazy" quickly. (originally "Verified by *Tygrysek*").

## Gallery

Phobos main menu, the level is currently uploaded under Krazyman50's account.A still of a restored picture of the original Phobos on Tygrysek's account. Credits to GD GreMar320 for this picture. (Changed quality also note that the level is free-demon at that time)

## Trivia

* Phobos is considered to be one of the hardest levels ever to be created in Geometry Dash, because the level is extremely long and has annoying amounts of difficult timing and straight-fly. Some consider it to be on par with or even harder than Bloodbath.
* Phobos is the name of one of the satellites of Mars, it is also the name of Roman God of Horror.
* Ironically, the song "Phobos" says "Blood for the Blood God". (Can be heard on Andromeda's Part) Despite Phobos being the God of Horror and Fear.
* The Song "Phobos" has several voice lines in it. "Critical Error" can be heard at Jobet's part, "Step Forth and be Recognized" can be heard at Dream Eater's part, "Who of you shall rise" can be heard at Iqrar99's part, and "Blood for the blood god" can be heard at Andromeda's part.
* There is no greek or roman god representing "Blood".
* To date Surv, Atomic, Krazyman50, SoulsTRK, Blass CFB and Sunix are the only players to beat the level legitimately.
* SoulsTRK currently has the least attempts in Phobos, with 7782 attempts.
* COSINE and DryBones were originally planned to be in the collaboration, but they never replied to requests.
* Riqirez's part was originally a near-impossible dual part (it used to be a mixed dual mini ship and cube), until Tygrysek re-verified the level and nerfed it into a mini ship mode.
* The original level was threatened to be unrated due to the fact that Tygrysek hacked it, so then he changed it into a free demon. It was then changed it back to its original version and then the level was unrated due to hacks by someone tipping off RobTop and then removed from the servers. However it was re-uploaded by Krazyman50.
* There is an error at Jo2000's part, there is a missing block deleted by accident. (Pictured above, as shown on the bottom right)
* The parts that were nerfed are: GMTSean, GW Palery, Kubs0n, Andromeda, and Riqirez's parts.
* EndLevel may've completed Phobos off camera and has video evidence but it may be hacked.
* GMTSean, one of the creators of Phobos, has also uploaded the unnerfed version of Phobos (there is a secret way at the end of Kobazz's part to allow Sean to easily verify the level). He still has not released the password to it, however.
* During the verification progress of Phobos, Jobet put a secret way near his signature to allow verifying much easier, which caused a music bug. This bug was later then resolved.

* Even though Conical Depression looked near-impossible and was claimed by Krazyman to be his possibly hardest beaten level in general, however Phobos is still his hardest level ever beaten, as the level is ranking #7 in the Official Forum's Record List, behind Sonic Wave, Artificial Ascent, Sakupen Hell, Bloodbath, Athanatos, and Infernal Abyss).

* Surv also claimed that this is the second hardest demon level he has ever beaten so far, leading to some people claim that the level is easier than Bloodbath.