Space-sim Elite: Dangerous launched late last year with a contest featuring nearly $20,000 in prize money. The challenge? Reach the rank of "Elite" in one or all of the game's three major categories first.

The prize is broken down into three smaller prizes and one grand prize. The players to first reach "Elite" rank in trade, exploration or combat will each be awarded 1,000 pounds, or roughly $1,500. For the brave soul who manages to reach "Elite" rank in all three categories first, a whopping 10,000 pound prize, or around $15,000.

Now, more than three months after the game's launch, we finally have the winners. Elite: Dangerous developer Frontier Developments announced the winners via YouTube over the weekend, and the numbers behind the accomplishments of these players are astounding.

Player Commander Tequila explored 7,697 unique star systems and traveled 190,000 light years in game to take the exploration prize. Commander Lordkee claimed the trade prize for transporting more than 834,353 metric tons of cargo over 1,046 hours of playing the game. The combat prize went to Commander Fromtonrouge, who destroyed 8,563 ships since the game's launch.

Those are some impressive feats, but they all pale in comparison to the winner of the $15,000 prize. That distinction goes to Commander Onepercent, who managed to chart 10,342 unique star systems, travel more than 180,000 light years, defeat 9,032 enemy vessels and trade 835,410 metric tons of cargo.

Whew. Commander Onepercent put 1,029 hours into Elite: Dangerous in order to accomplish the feat. With a payout of $15,000, it was definitely 1,029 hours well spent. Now if only I could get paid to put 1,029 hours into one of my favorite video games.

Elite: Dangerous is currently available on PC and will be making its way to Xbox One as a timed exclusive later this summer. Frontier Developments says the game will eventually make its way to other platforms, including Sony's PlayStation 4.

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