RE9 Speedrun Guide: Beat the Game Under 4 Hours
Completing an RE9 speedrun under four hours earns you the coveted Speed Demon trophy and is a key milestone on the path to Platinum. This guide provides a complete route breakdown, boss quick-kill strategies, puzzle solutions, and time-saving tips to help you finish Resident Evil 9: Requiem well under the four-hour target. With proper preparation and the right unlockables from New Game Plus, a sub-three-hour run is entirely achievable.
Prerequisites for the Speed Demon Trophy
Before attempting a speedrun, ensure you have the following prepared. Attempting a speed run on a fresh save without these advantages is significantly harder and not recommended.
💡Use New Game Plus
The Speed Demon trophy does not require a fresh save. Running NG+ with Infinite Ammo and fully upgraded weapons is the intended approach. Complete at least one full playthrough first to learn all puzzle solutions and boss patterns.
| Requirement | Priority | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Infinite Ammo (50,000 CP) | Essential | Eliminates all resource management and backtracking for ammo |
| RPG (35,000 CP) | Highly Recommended | One-shots most bosses, saving 5-10 minutes per fight |
| Fully Upgraded Handgun | Recommended | Clears mandatory enemies quickly without RPG waste |
| Completed NG+ save | Essential | Carries over weapons, upgrades, and unlockables |
| All puzzle solutions memorized | Essential | Puzzles are unchanged between runs (except safe codes) |
| Elpis ending knowledge | Essential | Speed Demon requires releasing Elpis for completion |
General Speedrun Rules
The in-game timer tracks your actual gameplay time. The following actions pause the timer, and understanding this is critical:
- Cutscenes do not count toward the timer, but you should still skip them to save real-world time
- Pause menu time is excluded, so you can pause to review this guide without penalty
- Loading screens are excluded from the timer
- Inventory management counts, so be fast when swapping items
Chapter-by-Chapter Route Breakdown
Chapter 1: Grace Orphanage (Target: 20 minutes)
The opening chapter is largely linear. Skip all optional rooms and head directly through the story triggers.
- After the opening cutscene, proceed straight to the main hallway
- Grab the Orphanage Key from the reception desk (mandatory)
- Ignore all collectibles, files, and side rooms
- Complete the introductory puzzle in under 30 seconds (solution: rotate dial to eagle symbol, then pull lever)
- During the first Blisterhead encounter, sprint past rather than engaging
Chapter 2: Wrenwood Hotel (Target: 35 minutes)
The Wrenwood Hotel has the most skippable content. Focus only on mandatory key items and story triggers.
- Head directly to Room 302 for the Hotel Master Key
- Skip the optional basement entirely (saves 8-10 minutes)
- For the clock tower puzzle, input the solution immediately: 9:15 on the left clock, 3:45 on the right
- Use the RPG on the first boss encounter to end the fight in one hit
⚠️Do Not Skip the Fuse Box
The fuse box in the Wrenwood Hotel east wing is mandatory. Skipping it softlocks progress. Grab the fuse from the kitchen counter on your way through, and install it without detour.
Chapter 3: Care Center (Target: 40 minutes)
The Care Center is the longest chapter and where most time is lost. The key is knowing which doors require keys and which can be bypassed.
- Rush to the Director's Office to trigger the story event
- Use the RPG on both The Girl and Chunk boss encounters
- The Care Center Basement section can be completed in 12 minutes with optimal routing
- For the chemical mixing puzzle, use the combination: Blue-Red-Green (left to right)
Chapters 4-8: Leon's Campaign (Target: 90 minutes)
Leon's chapters are more combat-heavy but also more linear. With Infinite Ammo and the RPG, most encounters are trivial.
- Sprint through corridors, engaging only enemies that block doorways
- Use the handgun for mandatory regular enemies, RPG for bosses only
- Skip all Merchant interactions since your weapons are already maxed
- Memorize the three mandatory safe codes for Leon's chapters (they change in NG+, so check nearby clues)
Final Chapter: The ARK (Target: 25 minutes)
The final chapter is mostly cutscenes and one extended boss fight. With the RPG, the final boss can be defeated in under 5 minutes.
Boss Quick-Kill Strategies
Every boss in RE9 can be defeated significantly faster with the right approach. Here is the fastest method for each mandatory boss encounter:
| Boss | Chapter | Quick-Kill Strategy | Target Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Girl (Phase 1) | 3 | 2 RPG shots to the exposed core | 30 seconds |
| Chunk | 3 | 3 RPG shots, aim for the back mass | 45 seconds |
| Super Tyrant | 6 | 4 RPG shots during vulnerable window | 1 minute |
| Dr. Gideon (Phase 1) | 8 | 2 RPG shots to the head | 20 seconds |
| Dr. Gideon (Phase 2) | 8 | Scripted sequence, cannot speed up | 3 minutes |
| Final Boss | 9 | 5 RPG shots between cinematic phases | 4 minutes |
Time Benchmarks
Use these checkpoints to verify you are on pace for a sub-four-hour completion:
- End of Chapter 1: 20 minutes or less
- End of Chapter 3: 1 hour 35 minutes or less
- End of Chapter 5: 2 hours 15 minutes or less
- End of Chapter 7: 3 hours 10 minutes or less
- Final save point: 3 hours 30 minutes or less
If you are behind at any checkpoint, you can still recover. The final chapter is short and largely scripted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does difficulty matter for the Speed Demon trophy?
No, the Speed Demon trophy can be earned on any difficulty. Running on Casual with NG+ Infinite Ammo is the easiest approach, as enemies deal minimal damage and resources are abundant.
Can I save during a speedrun?
Yes, manual saves do not affect the timer. Save frequently at typewriters so you can reload if you make a routing mistake. The time spent in the save menu does not count.
What happens if I die during the speedrun?
Deaths and reloads do not reset the timer. However, the time between your last save and your death is lost. This is why frequent saving is recommended, especially before boss encounters.
Can I complete the speedrun without the RPG?
Yes, but it is significantly harder. Without the RPG, boss fights take 3-5 minutes each instead of under 1 minute. Expect a total time closer to 3.5 hours rather than the comfortable 2.5-3 hour run the RPG enables.
With this route and the right New Game Plus preparation, the Speed Demon trophy is well within reach. For a complete breakdown of all 50 trophies including the speedrun requirements, visit our trophy guide. If you need help with any specific boss patterns, check the detailed strategies in our boss guides.