In the electric haze of London’s Alexandra Palace, under a cascade of cheers that shook the rafters, 17-year-old Luke Littler etched his name into darts immortality. It was the PDC World Darts Championship final, a clash of titans where the prodigy from Warrington faced off against the grizzled three-time champion Michael van Gerwen. The scoreline—7-3 in Littler’s favor—told a tale of youthful audacity triumphing over veteran guile, but it was one particular flourish in Littler’s arsenal that left the crowd gasping, commentators reeling, and fans worldwide dubbing it the ultimate “cheat code.” Double 10 wasn’t just a checkout; it was a precision-guided missile, a near-unfailable endpoint that no other player in the sport could wield with such ruthless efficiency.
Littler’s journey to this pinnacle had been nothing short of a fairy tale laced with steel nerves. Just a year prior, at the tender age of 16, he had stunned the world by storming to the final only to fall short against Luke Humphries in a heartbreaking 7-4 defeat. That loss could have broken a lesser spirit, but Littler, nicknamed “The Nuke” for his explosive talent, used it as rocket fuel. He roared back in 2024, claiming the Premier League title in a season of dominance that saw him pocket a staggering £1 million in prize money. Victories piled up like discarded darts: the Grand Slam of Darts, the World Series of Darts Finals, and key scalps over van Gerwen in the World Series semi-finals and a European Tour event. By the time he stepped onto the oche for this final, Littler wasn’t just a contender—he was the reckoning.
The match itself unfolded like a high-stakes thriller, with Littler averaging over 102 and unleashing 12 maximum 180s that painted the board in fiery reds and blues. His doubles conversion rate hovered at an eye-watering 56 percent, a statistic that would make seasoned pros envious. But it was his obsession with double 10 that turned the final into a masterclass in psychological warfare. Time and again, as the legs ticked by, Littler would leave himself on 20—the gateway to double 10—and dispatch it with the casual certainty of flipping a light switch. Van Gerwen, the Dutch powerhouse with a record of his own etched in legend, found himself chasing shadows. The rivalry between the two was already legendary; they’d split their 12 encounters since early 2024 down the middle, each man tasting victory six times. Yet on this night, van Gerwen’s arsenal of blistering trebles and cunning checkouts couldn’t pierce Littler’s fortress.
Sky Sports commentator Dan Dawson captured the magic—and the sheer unfairness of it all—in a moment that would go viral. As Littler wired another double 10 to edge closer to glory, Dawson exclaimed, “It’s a cheat code for Luke Littler tonight, that double 10.” The words hung in the air like smoke from a perfectly lit cigarette, summing up the bewilderment rippling through the arena. Fans, glued to screens from pubs in Warrington to living rooms across the globe, erupted in a frenzy of memes and hot takes. One supporter, still buzzing from the broadcast, typed out in all caps: “That double 10 for Littler is a f*****g cheat code!” Another likened it to an inevitable force of nature: “Death, taxes and The Nuke checking out on a double 10.” Laughter mingled with awe in the digital chorus, with one witty observer quipping, “Littler on the double 10 is a joke 😂😂😂😂😂😂.” The romance of it all drew even sweeter barbs: “Find someone who looks at you like Littler looks at the double 10,” read a particularly swoon-worthy tweet, while a self-deprecating fan confessed, “I’ve missed the bus more times than Littler has missed double 10. Unbelievable.” And the killer line that encapsulated the helplessness of his opponents: “Littler on double 10, you know what’s coming, you can’t stop it.”
What made this “cheat code” so devastating wasn’t just the frequency—Littler nailed it with a 55 percent success rate that night—but the psychological edge it carved out. Van Gerwen, no stranger to high-pressure finishes, watched as Littler methodically dismantled his lead, leaving the Dutchman grasping at double 10s of his own that clattered harmlessly off the wire. It evoked memories of football’s Arjen Robben, the winger who terrorized defenses by inevitably cutting in from the right, his left foot a weapon of predictable destruction. Fans drew the parallel gleefully, imagining van Gerwen’s internal groan each time the board read 20. By the final set, Littler was two legs from coronation, his focus unyielding. Though he sealed the deal with a double 16— a nod to humility amid the hype—the double 10 rampage had already rewritten the script.
As the final dart thudded home, Alexandra Palace dissolved into pandemonium. Littler, the boy who once practiced in his bedroom, collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face in a raw outpouring of joy and relief. Van Gerwen, gracious in defeat, pulled him into a bear hug, whispering congratulations that spoke volumes about mutual respect forged in fire. “He’s an unbelievable player,” van Gerwen would later say, his voice thick with the sting of loss but laced with admiration. For Littler, this wasn’t just a win; it was vindication, the youngest world champion ever at 17, eclipsing even van Gerwen’s own precocious triumph a decade earlier at 24.
In the glow of victory, Littler reflected on the road ahead with the wide-eyed hunger that defines him. He’d come agonizingly close to a nine-darter throughout the tournament—starting legs with blistering 177s and eyeing that elusive treble 19—but it remained just out of reach. “A few of the legs I started off with a 177 and just thought, ‘there’s a treble 19 out the way!’ Obviously I don’t end the year with five nine-darters but hopefully I can start the year off strong and get a nine for everyone,” he shared post-match, his voice a mix of disappointment and defiance. With four nine-darters already under his belt in 2024—tied for the PDC record with the likes of Gerwyn Price and van Gerwen—Littler knows the pressure is only beginning. But if double 10 is his cheat code, who knows what other glitches he’ll unlock?
This triumph isn’t merely a chapter in Littler’s story; it’s a seismic shift for darts itself. A sport once dominated by grizzled warriors now bows to a teenager who plays like he’s glitching the matrix. As fans dissect every throw and commentators pore over the tapes, one truth stands unassailable: in the world of wires and 180s, Luke Littler isn’t just winning—he’s reprogramming the game. And with eyes already turning to the next Premier League battles and European showdowns, the darting world braces for more of The Nuke’s unstoppable code. The board awaits, and so does history.
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