Category: Game Guides

Apex Legends Beginner Guide: Tips for New Players

Apex Legends has a reputation for being difficult to learn, and that reputation isn’t entirely undeserved.

The gunfights are fast. Movement is surprisingly deep. Every Legend brings a different kit, and a bad rotation can put your squad in a fight you never wanted. Then there is the small matter of getting third-partied immediately after surviving the first one.

But Apex becomes much easier once you understand what the game is actually asking you to do.

This Apex Legends beginner guide focuses on the fundamentals that matter most: choosing a Legend, surviving the drop, finding a practical loadout, using movement and cover properly, working with your squad, managing the Ring, and knowing when a fight is worth taking.

You do not need perfect aim to start improving. You need better decisions.

What Is Apex Legends?

Apex Legends is a free-to-play Battle Royale shooter from Respawn Entertainment and Electronic Arts. You choose a Legend with unique abilities, drop into a match, collect weapons and equipment, fight enemy squads, and try to survive until the end. EA currently separates the game into Core modes, including Unranked and Ranked, and Freestyle modes, including Wildcard, Bot Royale Evolved, and Mixtape.

The traditional Battle Royale experience revolves around a simple loop:

Drop → loot → rotate → fight → survive.

The difficulty comes from everything happening inside that loop.

You are managing ammunition, shields, healing, abilities, positioning, movement, teammates, enemy squads, and the shrinking Ring at the same time. That is why Apex can feel overwhelming during your first few matches.

The trick is to learn those pieces one at a time.

Start With Unranked and Practice Modes

Ranked can wait.

EA recommends Unranked for players who aren’t ready for competitive play, and Apex also offers practice and more relaxed game modes that are useful for learning.

Before you worry about winning matches, get comfortable with the basic controls and weapons.

Spend a Little Time in the Firing Range

You don’t need to turn practice into a second job.

Spend a few minutes learning how your preferred weapons feel, especially their recoil and effective range. Practice changing weapons, reloading, aiming, sliding, and moving between pieces of cover.

The goal isn’t to become a mechanical monster.

It is simply to make basic actions feel automatic so that you have more attention available for the actual fight.

Try Bot Royale

Bot Royale can be useful when the normal player population feels overwhelming. It gives new players a less punishing environment in which to practice looting, rotating, fighting, and using abilities. EA includes Bot Royale among the game’s more relaxed Freestyle options.

Use it to learn the rhythm of a match, not as a substitute for eventually playing against real opponents.

Pick a Legend You Can Understand

Apex has a large roster of Legends, and learning all of them at once is unnecessary.

EA’s current beginner documentation says new players start with Bangalore, Lifeline, and Wraith, while additional Legends can be unlocked through the Welcome Pass.

For your first matches, choose one Legend and stick with them long enough to understand the kit.

You want to know:

What your Tactical ability does
What your Ultimate is useful for
When your abilities are better saved
How your abilities help your squad
How your Legend escapes a bad fight

Bangalore

Bangalore is a strong learning choice because her abilities can help you break enemy sightlines and create opportunities to reposition.

She teaches an important Apex lesson early: sometimes the best play is to make the enemy’s information worse rather than trying to outshoot them.

Lifeline

Lifeline is a natural option for players who enjoy supporting their squad.

She also reinforces one of the game’s most important habits: staying alive and keeping teammates in the fight can matter more than chasing another elimination.

Wraith

Wraith can appeal to players who like a more aggressive or mobile playstyle.

Her kit can help you learn when to disengage, reposition, and create safer routes for your squad.

The important thing is less about finding the mythical “best” beginner Legend and more about learning one kit properly.

Survive the Drop First

Apex Legends landing guide showing squad members landing near each other, nearby enemy squads, and a suggested safe landing pattern

The match begins before you ever fire a weapon.

EA’s current beginner guidance recommends landing close to your teammates without dropping directly into the exact same loot spots, watching nearby enemy squads, and learning the maps over time.

For a new player, that translates into a simple rule:

Stay close enough to help your teammates, but give everyone room to loot.

If three squad members land on the same building and find one weapon between them, your squad has created its own problem.

Instead, spread across nearby rooms or buildings.

As you are dropping, look around.

Are enemy players landing nearby?

Do you have enough time to reach a quieter building?

Can your squad share the same general area without fighting over the same loot?

These decisions matter because the first 30 seconds often determine how prepared your squad will be for the first real fight.

Loot Quickly, Then Move

Your first objective is not a perfect loadout.

It is a functional loadout.

Try to secure:

Two usable weapons
Matching ammunition
Shield-healing items
Health-healing items
A knockdown shield
Useful attachments
A grenade or two when space allows

EA’s current beginner guidance similarly recommends weapons and matching ammo, healing items, and useful equipment while encouraging players to keep updating their inventory as they find better loot.

Once you’re equipped well enough to fight, stop searching every corner for an upgrade.

Apex rewards movement.

If you spend too long looting the first area, another squad may already have taken the strong position you needed.

Choose Weapons by Role

Apex Legends beginner weapon loadout showing an assault rifle and SMG for close- and mid-range combat

Don’t worry about memorizing the entire weapon pool.

For a beginner, a simple combination is easier to manage:

One weapon for medium range + one weapon for close range.

That could mean an assault rifle paired with an SMG, for example.

EA’s current weapons guidance recommends that newer players become comfortable with assault rifles and SMGs, highlighting weapons such as the R-301 and Volt as approachable options.

Assault Rifles

Assault rifles are flexible and useful in a wide range of engagements.

That versatility makes them excellent learning weapons.

SMGs

SMGs shine at closer ranges, especially when a fight becomes aggressive.

They pair naturally with a more versatile primary weapon.

Shotguns

Shotguns can end close-range fights very quickly, but they are less forgiving when your positioning or aim is off.

Learn them once you’re comfortable taking close fights.

Snipers and Long-Range Weapons

Long-range weapons have their place, but they shouldn’t become an excuse to avoid learning close and medium-range combat.

A beginner who spends an entire match sitting on a hill and firing occasionally is not necessarily learning the skills that make Apex players dangerous.

You eventually want to become comfortable fighting at different distances.

Learn Ammo Management

Your inventory has limited space.

That means every stack of ammunition should have a reason to be there.

Carry ammo that supports the weapons you’re actually using. If you switch weapons, update your inventory too.

EA’s current beginner guidance also recommends picking up ammunition that matches your weapons and changing your inventory as your loadout changes.

A surprisingly common beginner mistake is spending half the match carrying ammunition for a weapon they abandoned ten minutes ago.

Your backpack has better things to do.

Understand Shields, Health, and EVO

This is one of the first Apex systems worth learning properly.

Your shield absorbs damage before your health, so a player with low shields is not truly ready for another engagement simply because their health bar is full.

After a fight, check both.

Shield Cells and Shield Batteries restore shields, while Syringes and Med Kits restore health.

A good beginner habit is to reset after every engagement:

Heal → reload → check ammunition → check surroundings → move.

Apex also uses EVO progression, so your equipment and combat progression can develop as a match continues.

You don’t need to understand every detail immediately.

For your first few matches, simply recognize that surviving fights and managing your resources are part of getting stronger during the match.

Movement Matters, but Don’t Chase Fancy Tricks

Apex Legends movement guide showing how to move from open ground to cover, slide, and reposition safely

Apex is famous for movement.

You will eventually see players using advanced techniques that make them look as though they have forgotten gravity exists.

Ignore that for now.

Learn the basics.

Sprint

Move decisively when you’re rotating through areas that aren’t currently under attack.

Slide

Sliding helps maintain momentum and makes your movement less predictable.

Practice sliding naturally rather than forcing it into every situation.

Holster When It Helps

Putting your weapon away can improve movement speed, but you should not remain unarmed when you are approaching an area where enemies could appear.

Speed is useful.

Being ready to shoot is also useful.

Use Cover

This is the movement habit that matters most.

Move from cover to cover.

Avoid unnecessary open ground.

Don’t confuse constant motion with good movement.

A player who smoothly moves between cover is often much harder to kill than someone who simply jumps and slides everywhere.

Positioning Wins Fights Before the Shooting Starts

Apex Legends positioning guide comparing a bad exposed position with a good position behind cover and multiple escape routes

Apex is not purely an aim game.

Imagine two players with identical weapons.

One is standing in an open field.

The other is behind a rock with a clear line of retreat.

The second player already has an advantage.

Good positioning provides:

Cover.

Useful sightlines.

Escape routes.

Better angles.

More time to react.

Before starting a fight, ask yourself:

Where do I go if this goes badly?

If there is no answer, rethink the position.

That single habit will save you from a remarkable number of unnecessary deaths.

Don’t Fight in the Open

This sounds obvious until a fight starts.

Then people forget.

Heal behind cover.

Reload behind cover.

Revive behind cover.

Peek from cover.

Use buildings, rocks, walls, terrain, and other obstacles to reduce the number of angles an enemy can use against you.

You don’t have to stand still and trade damage until somebody loses.

Take a shot, reposition, and make the enemy work for theirs.

Stay Close to Your Squad

Apex is built around squad play.

You don’t need to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with your teammates, but you should usually remain close enough that they can help you when a fight begins.

EA specifically advises beginners to stay close to their squad because isolated players are easier to overwhelm.

Good squad spacing means:

You can reinforce a teammate quickly
You can trade damage
You can combine abilities
You can retreat together
You can recover a knocked teammate more safely

The worst place for a new player is often 100 meters away from everyone else when the shooting starts.

Learn the Ping System

Apex’s ping system is one of its best tools for communication.

You don’t need a microphone to give your teammates useful information.

EA specifically recommends pinging enemy positions, loot, and locations.

Use pings to:

Mark enemies.

Highlight useful loot.

Suggest where to move.

Warn teammates about nearby danger.

Show where you intend to go.

A good ping can communicate something immediately that would otherwise take several seconds to explain.

Just remember that communication is information, not noise. One useful ping is better than twelve frantic ones.

Know When to Fight

This is probably the hardest beginner lesson.

Seeing an enemy does not mean you have to shoot them.

Before committing to a fight, look at the situation.

Do you have decent equipment?

Are your teammates nearby?

Do you have cover?

Is the enemy in a better position?

Can you disengage?

Is the Ring about to force everyone into a different area?

There is no shame in refusing a bad fight.

Apex rewards players who can recognize a favorable engagement before they commit to it.

That doesn’t mean you should spend the entire match hiding, either.

Fight when you have a reason.

Leave when you don’t.

Beware the Third Party

You win a fight.

Great.

Now you start looting.

Footsteps.

Another squad.

Death.

This is the classic Apex third-party problem.

After an engagement, your squad may be low on shields, healing, ammunition, and positional advantage. Another team arriving at that exact moment can clean up before you’ve recovered.

So make “reset” a habit.

Heal.

Reload.

Check your surroundings.

Listen for nearby footsteps and gunfire.

Then loot.

The extra few seconds can be the difference between collecting useful gear and becoming somebody else’s useful gear.

Use Grenades With a Purpose

Grenades are most useful when they solve a problem.

Use them to:

Force enemies out of cover
Punish a team holding a building
Deny a route
Create space during a retreat
Pressure an enemy while your squad pushes

Don’t carry a backpack full of grenades simply because they were available.

Your inventory should support the way you actually play.

Watch the Ring

The Ring is one of the systems that gives Apex its pace.

As the match continues, playable space becomes more restricted, forcing squads closer together.

The beginner mistake is waiting until the last possible moment to rotate.

That often creates a terrible choice:

Run through an open area while the Ring closes behind you, or enter an unfamiliar area where another squad is already waiting.

A better approach is to think ahead.

Ask:

Where does my squad want to be next?

Then move before you absolutely have to.

Being early gives you options.

Being late gives you problems.

Don’t Throw Yourself Into a Revive

Your teammate is down.

Your instinct may be to sprint straight at them.

Sometimes that’s correct.

Sometimes it is the fastest possible way to get two teammates knocked instead of one.

Before reviving, look at:

Enemy positions
Available cover
Your own health and shields
Your other teammate’s location
Whether the enemy squad is still watching the area

A revive is valuable.

A revive attempt with no cover and three enemies staring directly at you is usually not.

Knocked teammates can also use their knockdown shields, and surviving teammates may have opportunities to recover them or respawn them later, depending on the situation.

Don’t turn one bad position into a complete squad wipe because you felt obligated to revive immediately.

What to Do After You Get Knocked

Getting knocked is not automatically the end of the match.

Stay calm.

Use your knockdown shield when appropriate.

Move toward cover if you can.

Keep giving useful information to your teammates.

Tell them where enemies are rather than simply announcing that everything has gone terribly.

Sometimes your team can recover you.

Sometimes they can’t.

Either way, useful information can still help win the fight.

Don’t Rush Into Ranked

Ranked is designed for competitive play, so there’s no reason to force yourself into it before you’re comfortable with the basics.

EA currently requires new players below Level 20 to complete the Road to Ranked challenges before they can enter Ranked.

Treat those requirements as part of your learning period.

By the time Ranked becomes available, ideally you should already be comfortable with:

Your preferred Legend
Several weapons
Basic movement
Healing
Ping communication
Rotating with the Ring
Fighting around cover
Staying with your squad

Ranked points are not going to teach those fundamentals for you.

Practice will.

The Biggest Apex Legends Beginner Mistakes

Landing Too Far From Your Squad

You want enough space to loot without separating so far that your teammates can’t help.

Looting for Too Long

Once you can fight, move.

Carrying the Wrong Ammo

Your inventory should support your current weapons, not the guns you used ten minutes ago.

Ignoring Shields

Full health doesn’t mean you’re ready if your shields are empty.

Fighting Alone

Being aggressive is not the same as being isolated.

Chasing Every Knock

An enemy running around a corner may be leading you directly into another squad.

Ignoring the Ring

Late rotations create unnecessary problems.

Using Abilities Without a Plan

An ability being available doesn’t mean it has to be used immediately.

Reviving in the Open

Check the situation first.

Blaming Teammates for Every Death

Sometimes your teammate made a bad play.

Sometimes you did.

The useful question is what you can do differently next time.

A Simple Game Plan for Your First Matches

You don’t need to remember fifty rules while learning.

Use this instead.

Early Game

Land near your squad.

Find two workable weapons.

Collect matching ammunition.

Pick up shields and healing.

Pay attention to nearby enemies.

Then move.

Mid Game

Watch the Ring.

Stay with your squad.

Look for strong positions.

Take sensible fights.

Reset after engagements.

Be ready for third parties.

Late Game

Value positioning more than unnecessary kills.

Hold useful ground.

Stay together.

Keep healing resources available.

Think about where the next fight will happen before it starts.

That is the difference between reacting to the game and actually playing it.

How to Improve at Apex Legends Faster

Playing more matches helps, but simply repeating the same mistake doesn’t make you better at it.

Instead, review your deaths.

Not every death needs a complicated explanation.

Sometimes you simply lost a fair gunfight.

Other times there was a clear mistake:

You were standing in the open.

You pushed before your teammates arrived.

You ignored the Ring.

You had no shields.

You chased a player into a bad position.

You had no escape route.

Pick the biggest mistake and work on that one.

The next time the same situation appears, try a different decision.

That’s meaningful improvement.

Practice One Skill at a Time

Don’t try to master everything simultaneously.

Spend one session paying attention to positioning.

Another can focus on movement.

Another can focus on one or two weapons.

You will improve faster when you actually know what you’re practicing.

Loot Strategist’s Beginner Rule

For your first several matches, forget about chasing huge kill totals.

Build the habits that keep you alive:

Land with your squad.

Get a practical loadout quickly.

Keep your shields and health topped up.

Use cover.

Watch the Ring.

Don’t take fights you cannot explain.

Learn from your deaths.

Kills will come later.

First, become difficult to kill.

Apex Legends Beginner Checklist

Apex Legends post-fight reset guide showing the steps to heal, reload, check surroundings, and loot after winning a fight

Before and during every match, remember:

Choose a Legend you understand.

Stay close to your squad.

Loot quickly.

Carry weapons that cover different ranges.

Keep appropriate ammunition.

Carry shields and health heals.

Use cover whenever possible.

Ping useful information.

Watch the Ring.

Reset after fights.

Expect third parties.

Know when to disengage.

That is enough to get started.

You can worry about advanced movement techniques and hyper-optimized loadouts later.

Final Thoughts

Apex Legends has a steep learning curve because there is a lot happening at once.

The game asks you to shoot accurately, move intelligently, manage resources, understand your Legend, communicate with teammates, read the map, and make quick decisions under pressure.

You don’t have to master all of that immediately.

Start small.

Learn one Legend. Get comfortable with a few weapons. Practice basic movement. Stay near your squad. Use cover. Watch the Ring. Heal before taking another fight.

Most importantly, stop treating every enemy as an invitation to fight.

Good Apex players aren’t simply the ones who can win a gunfight.

They’re the ones who recognize which fights are worth taking in the first place.

And yes, you’ll still occasionally get deleted by somebody who appears to have a personal grudge against your existence.

That’s Apex.

Related Apex Legends Guides

Apex Legends Octane Guide — Learn how Octane’s mobility tools work and how to use his speed without throwing away your team’s position.

Apex Legends Squad Composition Guide — Explore how different Legends can complement each other when building a squad.

Apex Legends Ranked Guide

More Apex Legends Guides — Find additional Legend guides, tips, and strategies from Loot Strategist.

Sources & Updates

Last reviewed: September 6, 2026

Apex Legends changes regularly, so this guide focuses on fundamentals that remain useful across seasons rather than short-lived weapon or Legend rankings.

Current game information was checked against EA/Respawn’s official Apex Legends documentation, including beginner guidance, game modes, the current Ranked system, and the Marked Season 30 update. Marked launched on August 4, 2026.

Our gameplay recommendations are editorial guidance from Loot Strategist rather than claims that there is one objectively correct way to play Apex Legends.

How we verify: Changing factual details—such as game modes, Ranked access, seasonal systems, and beginner onboarding—are checked against official EA sources. Practical advice is presented as strategy and editorial recommendation rather than as an official game rule.

Apex Legends Weapons Guide: Best Guns, Weapon Types & Beginner Tips

Choosing a weapon in Apex Legends is about more than picking up the gun with the highest damage.

You need to think about range, recoil, magazine size, ammo availability, attachments, your second weapon, and even the Legend you’re playing. A weapon that feels incredible in a close-range fight can become awkward when you’re trying to pressure another squad from a distance.

That is why there isn’t one weapon that is simply the best gun in Apex Legends for everyone.

EA’s own weapons guide recommends trying different guns and learning which weapons feel comfortable at different ranges. For newer players, Assault Rifles and SMGs are a particularly useful starting point because they cover a wide variety of encounters.

This Apex Legends weapons guide breaks down the major weapon types, explains how to choose a loadout, and covers practical tips for getting more value from the guns you find during a match.

Apex Legends Weapon Types Explained

Apex Legends divides its guns into several weapon categories, each designed around different combat situations.

Understanding those roles is more useful than memorizing a tier list because weapon balance changes regularly.

Assault Rifles

Assault Rifles are some of the most versatile weapons in Apex Legends.

They’re generally useful at close-to-mid range and can be effective for players who are still learning how to manage different engagements.

Examples include:

HAVOC Rifle
VK-47 Flatline
Hemlok Burst AR
R-301 Carbine
Nemesis Burst AR

The biggest advantage of an Assault Rifle is flexibility.

You can use one to pressure an enemy across a street, fight around a building, or support a teammate during a medium-range engagement.

For beginners, the R-301 Carbine is an especially approachable starting point because of its relatively manageable handling. EA also specifically recommends it as a beginner-friendly weapon.

Submachine Guns

SMGs are built around faster, closer-range engagements.

They’re particularly useful when fights move inside buildings or when you need to follow up quickly after closing the distance.

SMGs reward:

Good tracking.
Confident movement.
Close-range positioning.
Knowing when to reload.
Staying close enough for your weapon’s strengths to matter.

A common mistake is carrying an SMG and then taking every fight from too far away.

If your weapon is strongest at close range, your positioning should help you get there safely.

Light Machine Guns

LMGs generally offer larger magazines and sustained fire.

That can make them useful when suppressing an enemy position or maintaining pressure while your teammates reposition.

The trade-off is that they can feel less agile than some lighter weapons.

They’re particularly useful when you want to keep firing rather than constantly resetting your weapon.

Shotguns

Shotguns specialize in close-range burst damage.

They can be extremely effective when you’re fighting around doors, corners, buildings, and other tight spaces.

The catch is obvious: you need to be close enough for the weapon to do its job.

Shotguns also punish missed shots more severely than many automatic weapons. If you fire and miss during a close-range fight, the opponent may have enough time to punish you before you can fire again.

That makes shotguns excellent weapons for players who are comfortable with movement and positioning.

Marksman Weapons

Marksman weapons occupy an interesting middle ground.

They’re generally suited to players who want more range than an SMG or Assault Rifle can comfortably provide without committing fully to a traditional sniper.

They can be useful for:

Mid-to-long-range pressure.
Opening damage before a rotation.
Holding an angle.
Punishing enemies who stay exposed.

However, weapon balance between Marksman weapons and other categories changes over time.

Respawn has specifically discussed moving away from a Marksman-dominated meta during 2026, so it’s better to think of this category in terms of its role rather than assuming Marksman weapons will always dominate long-range encounters.

Sniper Rifles

Sniper Rifles are designed for long-range engagements.

They allow you to pressure enemies who are too far away for most close-range weapons to use effectively.

The downside is that they can be awkward when another squad suddenly pushes into close range.

If you choose a sniper, your second weapon becomes especially important.

You don’t want to discover halfway through a fight that both weapons are designed for long-range engagements.

What Is the Best Gun in Apex Legends?

There isn’t a universal answer.

The strongest weapon for you depends on how you play and what the match gives you.

A weapon that has excellent statistics on paper isn’t automatically the best choice if you can’t control its recoil or consistently land shots with it.

Instead, ask three questions:

What range am I fighting at?

If most of your fights happen inside buildings, a shotgun or SMG may make more sense than a sniper.

Can I control the weapon?

A weapon with theoretically excellent damage won’t help much if your shots consistently miss.

Does it complement my second weapon?

Your two weapons should ideally cover different situations.

That third question is particularly important for beginners.

Best Weapons for Beginners

If you’re still learning Apex Legends, don’t worry about mastering every gun immediately.

Start with weapons that help you understand the fundamentals.

R-301 Carbine

The R-301 is a strong beginner choice because it is versatile and relatively easy to understand.

It can handle a range of encounters and gives new players an opportunity to practice tracking, recoil control, and positioning without requiring an extremely specialized playstyle.

If you find one early in a match and feel comfortable with it, there is little reason to abandon it simply because another weapon has a higher reputation.

Flatline

The VK-47 Flatline offers a different feel from the R-301.

It rewards players who are comfortable with its recoil and damage profile.

If you’re transitioning from easier-to-control weapons, spend some time in the Firing Range before deciding whether you like it.

Alternator

The Alternator can be approachable for players who prefer a straightforward automatic weapon.

It can work well in close-to-mid-range encounters and is useful while you’re learning how to track moving targets.

Volt

The Volt is another useful option for players who enjoy close-range automatic fire.

Its current energy-weapon ammunition system is different from the traditional ammo system many longtime players remember, so newer guides that describe it as simply consuming conventional Energy Ammo are outdated.

Peacekeeper

The Peacekeeper is a good weapon to practice if you want to improve your close-range accuracy.

It can be rewarding when your timing and aim are good, but it is less forgiving when you repeatedly miss.

The Best Weapon Depends on Your Range

One of the easiest ways to improve your weapon choices is to think about engagement range.

Close Range

Good options include:

SMGs
Shotguns
Certain Pistols

Close-range weapons work best when you’re fighting around buildings, corners, doors, and tight cover.

Movement also becomes extremely important here.

Your recent movement practice should complement your weapon choice. If you’re carrying an SMG or shotgun, being able to strafe, slide, change direction, and use cover can make a huge difference.

Mid Range

This is where Assault Rifles and many Marksman weapons become useful.

Mid-range fights give you enough distance to avoid some of the chaos of a point-blank fight while still allowing consistent pressure.

For beginners, this is often the easiest range to learn because you have more time to react than you would in a shotgun duel.

Long Range

Snipers and certain Marksman weapons are designed for this role.

Long-range fights can be useful for:

Gathering information.
Cracking shields.
Forcing enemies out of cover.
Creating opportunities for your squad to rotate.
Punishing teams that remain exposed.

But don’t fall into the trap of shooting from far away simply because you can.

If you’re dealing 20 or 30 damage repeatedly without creating an opportunity for your team, you may be better off rotating into a stronger position.

How to Build a Good Two-Gun Loadout

Apex Legends two-gun loadout infographic showing a mid-range primary weapon paired with a close-range secondary, with example Assault Rifle + SMG and alternative Marksman + SMG combinations.

Your two weapons should generally complement each other.

A simple beginner setup is:

Mid-range weapon + close-range weapon

For example:

Assault Rifle + SMG

This gives you a weapon for sustained mid-range fights and another for aggressive close-range engagements.

Another option is:

Marksman + SMG

This gives you more range while keeping a strong close-range option.

You could also use:

Sniper + Shotgun

This setup gives you a very strong range split, but it requires more confidence because both weapons are specialized.

The important thing is to avoid creating unnecessary overlap.

If both weapons are strongest at exactly the same range, you may find yourself poorly equipped when the fight changes distance.

Don’t Choose a Weapon Before Considering Your Second Gun

This is an easy mistake to make when looting.

You find a weapon you like, grab it immediately, and then spend the next several minutes looking for another gun that uses the same type of ammo or fills the same role.

Instead, think in pairs.

For example:

“I have a strong mid-range weapon. Now I need something for close range.”

That simple thought process makes looting more efficient.

It also helps prevent awkward loadouts.

Ammo Management in Apex Legends

Ammo management is part of weapon selection.

EA currently lists several ammunition systems, including Light, Heavy, Energy, Shotgun Shells, Sniper Ammo, Mythic Ammo, and Arrows. Some special ammunition systems behave differently from traditional floor-loot ammo.

One particularly important current change is the Energy weapon rework introduced with the Marked update.

Energy Ammo was removed as a conventional lootable item. Energy weapons instead have their own ammunition stockpile, which regenerates over time. Different weapons have different stockpile sizes, and the regeneration pauses while firing or reloading.

That means old guides explaining energy weapons as if they work exactly like Light or Heavy Ammo are no longer accurate.

For newer players, the bigger lesson is simple:

Don’t fill your inventory with ammo just because you have space.

Carry what your weapons actually need, pay attention to how much ammunition you are using, and make sure you have enough supplies for the fights you’re likely to take.

Weapon Attachments Matter

Finding the right attachment can change how comfortable a weapon feels.

Depending on the weapon, attachments can improve areas such as:

Magazine capacity.
Reloading.
Handling.
Recoil control.
Optics.
Hip-fire performance.
Other weapon-specific characteristics.

But don’t spend half a match searching for a perfect attachment.

A weapon you can use confidently with a basic setup is usually more valuable than a weapon sitting in your inventory while you search for one missing attachment.

Prioritize Attachments That Solve a Problem

Instead of thinking:

“I need the best attachment.”

Think:

“What is currently making this weapon difficult to use?”

If you’re constantly running out of bullets during a fight, a better magazine can matter.

If you struggle to control recoil, an attachment that improves handling or recoil can be more valuable.

If you’re fighting primarily at longer distances, the right optic can make target acquisition easier.

This is a much more useful way to think about attachments.

Don’t Chase Every Hop-Up

Hop-Ups can modify or enhance certain weapons, but their availability and implementation can change between seasons.

A common beginner mistake is seeing a Hop-Up and immediately deciding that they need the corresponding weapon.

Instead, start with the weapon.

If you already like the gun and find the relevant attachment, great.

Don’t build your entire loadout around finding one particular Hop-Up unless you already understand why you want it.

Apex has also moved toward locked Hop-Up systems in previous updates, so older loot guides can describe systems that no longer work the same way.

Weapon Choice Should Match Your Playstyle

Your Legend and weapons don’t have to match perfectly, but they can complement each other.

Aggressive Players

If you enjoy pushing enemies and taking close-range fights, consider weapons that reward:

Fast tracking.
Quick movement.
Close-range accuracy.
Rapid follow-up damage.

SMGs and shotguns are natural options to experiment with.

Defensive Players

If you prefer holding buildings, controlling angles, and forcing enemies to approach you, weapons that provide sustained pressure or reliable mid-range damage can be more comfortable.

Long-Range Players

If you prefer watching an enemy squad from a distance and looking for opportunities to punish exposure, Marksman weapons and Sniper Rifles may suit you better.

Just remember that eventually the fight may come to you.

Having a second weapon capable of handling close-range pressure is important.

Match Your Weapon to Your Legend

Some Legend abilities can make certain weapon styles more comfortable.

For example, a mobility-focused Legend can make it easier to close distance with an SMG or shotgun.

That doesn’t mean you need to force a particular weapon onto a particular Legend.

Instead, think about what your Legend allows you to do.

If your Legend can quickly reposition, you may be able to take angles that make a close-range weapon more effective.

If your Legend specializes in holding an area, you may get more value from weapons that let you control an approach.

This is where weapon choice becomes part of your overall game plan rather than an isolated decision.

The Biggest Weapon Mistakes Beginners Make

1. Chasing the “Meta” Gun

A weapon can be strong without being the right weapon for you.

If you can’t control it, your personal results may be worse than with a supposedly weaker weapon that you understand.

2. Carrying Two Weapons for the Same Range

Running two close-range weapons can leave you struggling to pressure enemies across open terrain.

Likewise, carrying two long-range weapons can become painful when another squad pushes your building.

Think about coverage.

3. Ignoring Recoil

Damage numbers don’t matter if your shots aren’t connecting.

Spend time in the Firing Range learning how your weapon behaves.

4. Reloading in the Open

A magazine running dry doesn’t mean you should stand still and reload.

Use cover, reposition, or break line of sight when possible.

This connects directly to the movement fundamentals covered in an Apex Legends movement guide.

5. Staying in a Bad Fight Because You Have the “Right” Weapon

A good gun doesn’t fix bad positioning.

If you’re exposed, outnumbered, or being pushed from multiple angles, repositioning may be more important than continuing to fire.

6. Spending Too Long Looting

The perfect loadout doesn’t matter if another squad reaches the next position before you do.

Get weapons that work, grab useful attachments, secure enough ammunition, and keep moving.

How to Practice Your Weapons

Apex Legends weapon practice infographic showing five steps: recoil control, tracking moving targets, strafing while shooting, quick weapon swaps, and using cover effectively.

The Firing Range is one of the best places to become comfortable with a weapon before relying on it in a real match.

Don’t just shoot at a stationary target.

Practice situations that resemble actual fights.

Drill 1: Recoil Control

Choose one automatic weapon.

Fire at a target while controlling the recoil.

Start at a comfortable range, then move farther away.

Drill 2: Tracking

Move around while keeping your crosshair on a target.

This is particularly useful for SMGs and other weapons that require sustained tracking.

Drill 3: Strafe + Shoot

Combine your weapon practice with movement.

Strafe left and right while firing and maintain your crosshair placement.

This connects your aim training with the movement skills you’ve already been practicing.

Drill 4: Weapon Swap

Practice switching between your two weapons.

You don’t want to spend several seconds fumbling through your inventory during a fight.

Learn which weapon you reach for at each range.

Drill 5: Cover

Practice firing from behind cover, retreating, reloading, and re-peeking from a slightly different angle.

This teaches an important lesson:

Good shooting is not just about aim. It’s also about giving yourself safe opportunities to shoot.

How to Choose a Weapon After Landing

The first weapon you find doesn’t need to be your final weapon.

Early in a match, prioritize functionality.

If you find an SMG and a shotgun, you can fight.

If you find an Assault Rifle and a pistol, you can fight.

You don’t need to spend the next five minutes searching for your dream loadout.

As you rotate, you can gradually improve your weapons and attachments.

This is especially important during contested drops when another squad is already nearby.

A usable weapon now is more valuable than a theoretically better weapon that you might find later.

What If You Find a Weapon You Don’t Like?

Use it long enough to understand why you dislike it.

Is the recoil difficult?

Is the fire rate uncomfortable?

Are you fighting at the wrong range?

Does the weapon require more precise aim than you’re currently comfortable with?

Sometimes the problem isn’t the weapon.

Sometimes you’re asking it to do something it wasn’t designed to do.

If you consistently dislike a weapon after giving it a fair test, move on.

Apex gives you enough weapon variety that you can build a loadout around your strengths.

How to Improve Your Weapon Choice Over Time

Apex Legends weapon decision-making flowchart showing how to choose weapons based on combat range, select a complementary second weapon, and use a loadout that the player can control confidently.

You don’t need to memorize every weapon statistic.

Instead, start paying attention to what happens in your matches.

After a fight, ask:

Did I lose because my weapon was weak, or because I used it badly?

Was I fighting at the wrong range?

Did my second weapon give me another option?

Did I run out of ammunition?

Did I miss because I couldn’t control the recoil?

These questions are much more useful than simply checking which weapon currently has the highest pick rate.

Apex is constantly changing.

Respawn’s 2026 updates have already adjusted weapon damage, recoil, magazine sizes, ammo systems, weapon rotations, and other mechanics.

Learning how to evaluate a weapon will therefore remain useful even when the meta changes.

A Simple Beginner Weapon Checklist

Before committing to a loadout, ask yourself:

Do I have a weapon for my preferred fighting range?
Does my second weapon cover a different range?
Can I control both weapons?
Do I have enough ammunition?
Do I have useful attachments without spending too much time looting?
Can I fight effectively indoors?
Can I pressure enemies at medium range?
Do my weapons work with the way I like to play?

If the answer is mostly yes, your loadout is probably good enough.

You don’t need a perfect setup.

You need a setup you understand.

Final Thoughts

The best weapons in Apex Legends aren’t necessarily the ones at the top of a tier list.

The best weapon for you is the one you can control, understand, and use at the range where your fights actually happen.

For beginners, start with versatile weapons such as Assault Rifles and SMGs. Learn how each weapon behaves, practice recoil and tracking in the Firing Range, and build two-gun loadouts that cover different situations.

From there, experiment.

Try shotguns if you want to improve your close-range fighting. Try Marksman weapons if you enjoy controlling longer angles. Test Snipers if you prefer patient, long-range engagements.

Most importantly, don’t let the current meta dictate everything you pick up.

Weapon balance will continue to change. Ammo systems can change. Attachments can change. Care Package rotations can change.

The skill that lasts is knowing why you’re choosing a weapon and what you want it to accomplish.

Once you start thinking that way, looting becomes faster, your loadouts become more deliberate, and your weapon choices start supporting the rest of your game instead of determining it.

Apex Legends Movement Guide: Sliding, Strafing & Advanced Tips

In Apex Legends, winning a gunfight isn’t always about who lands the first shot. Sometimes it’s about who reaches cover first, who takes the better angle, or who can make the other player miss while keeping their own crosshair on target.

That is why movement matters so much.

You don’t need to master every flashy movement technique to become a better Apex player. In fact, most players will see bigger improvements by learning a few fundamentals—sprinting efficiently, sliding at the right time, strafing while shooting, and using terrain intelligently—before worrying about advanced mechanics.

This Apex Legends movement guide covers those fundamentals first, then moves into more advanced techniques and practical drills you can use in the Firing Range.

Why Movement Matters in Apex Legends

Apex Legends is built around momentum, positioning, and fast engagements. Movement helps you do much more than travel around the map.

Good movement can help you:

Reach cover before an enemy finishes their reload.
Make yourself harder to track during a close-range fight.
Change angles without giving an opponent an easy target.
Escape a bad engagement.
Take high ground or stronger defensive positions.
Stay with your squad during rotations.
Create better opportunities for your own shots.

EA’s beginner guidance specifically recommends sprinting rather than walking, holstering your weapon while travelling, sliding down declines, and using movement options such as launch pads and ziplines to travel efficiently.

The important distinction is that fast movement isn’t automatically good movement.

If you sprint into an open area with no cover, slide past your teammates, or chase an enemy into a bad position, moving quickly won’t save you. The best movement supports your positioning rather than replacing it.

Apex Legends Movement Basics

Before learning advanced techniques, make sure the basic movement loop feels natural.

Apex Legends basic movement diagram showing sprint, slide, jump, strafe, and cover

Sprinting

Sprinting is your default way of moving around the map.

Use it when rotating between locations, repositioning during a fight, or closing distance when you aren’t actively aiming.

One simple habit is worth developing early: don’t walk when you could safely sprint.

There is little benefit to moving slowly through open areas when you’re not trying to maintain a specific firing position.

Holstering Your Weapon

Holstering your weapon lets you move faster while travelling.

It is particularly useful when:

Rotating toward the next Ring.
Catching up with your squad.
Crossing a relatively safe area.
Retreating from a fight.
Moving between buildings.

You don’t want to spend the entire match with your weapon holstered, though. If you expect an enemy around the next corner, having your weapon ready is more important than squeezing out a little extra movement speed.

That small decision—weapon out or weapon holstered—becomes increasingly important as you improve.

Sliding

Sliding is one of the most useful movement mechanics for beginners.

A basic slide lets you maintain momentum while lowering your character’s profile and moving quickly across suitable terrain.

The easiest way to understand sliding is to think about momentum, rather than treating it as a button you press constantly.

Use slides when terrain and positioning make them useful. Sliding down a slope, for example, can help you cover ground quickly. Sliding across flat terrain can also help you change your position during a fight, but doing it repeatedly without a purpose can make your movement predictable.

Slide Jumping

Slide jumping combines a slide with a jump to preserve momentum and cover ground efficiently.

A simple practice routine is:

Sprint forward.
Start a slide.
Jump near the end of the slide.
Continue sprinting once you land.
Repeat the sequence.

Don’t worry about performing it perfectly at first. The goal is to make the transition feel automatic.

Once you stop thinking about every individual input, you can concentrate more on where you’re actually going.

Strafing: The Movement Skill You Should Learn First

Strafing is moving sideways while keeping your aim on an opponent.

It sounds simple, but effective strafing is one of the most important skills in Apex.

Apex Legends strafing example showing a character moving left and right while maintaining aim on a target

When you’re standing still and shooting, your opponent has a much easier target. When you’re moving unpredictably while maintaining your aim, they have to constantly adjust.

How to Practice Strafing

Start in the Firing Range.

Pick a target and move left and right while keeping your crosshair around the target’s upper body.

Don’t immediately try to move as quickly as possible.

Instead, focus on three things:

Keep your crosshair on the target.
Change direction without losing control.
Avoid falling into an obvious left-right rhythm.

Once you can track a stationary target comfortably, increase the difficulty by shooting while moving and then practicing against moving targets.

EA also recommends using the Firing Range to practice aim, tracking, recoil control, and other mechanical skills.

Don’t Strafe Like a Metronome

One common beginner habit is moving left, then right, then left, then right at exactly the same pace.

That looks like movement, but it isn’t particularly difficult to predict.

Instead, vary your timing.

Move one direction for a moment, change direction, briefly adjust your movement, and occasionally use the environment to break the opponent’s line of sight.

Your objective isn’t to look flashy.

Your objective is to make your opponent’s next shot harder.

Crouching and Changing Your Height

Crouching can be useful during fights, particularly when combined with strafing.

Changing your character’s height can disrupt an opponent’s tracking and create awkward situations in close-range fights.

However, constantly crouch-spamming isn’t a substitute for good positioning.

If you are fighting beside a piece of cover, for example, changing your height while moving around that cover can be much more useful than repeatedly crouching in the open.

Think about where your opponent expects you to be.

Good movement often comes from making small changes that force them to adjust their aim.

Use Cover as Part of Your Movement

One of the biggest mistakes newer players make is treating movement and positioning as separate skills.

They aren’t.

Apex Legends cover movement comparison showing a character running across open ground versus moving safely from cover to cover

Imagine you’re fighting an enemy outside a building.

You could strafe around in the open and hope your movement is enough to keep you alive.

Or you could move between the doorway, wall, box, rock, or other available cover while taking shots.

The second option gives your movement a purpose.

Try to build the habit of asking:

“Where am I moving next if I get shot?”

If you don’t have an answer, your current position may already be too exposed.

Movement During a Gunfight

Movement becomes much more valuable when combined with shooting.

Close-Range Fights

At close range, standing still is usually a bad idea.

Use strafing, crouching, short slides, and nearby cover to make yourself harder to track.

But don’t sacrifice your aim just to move constantly.

There is a point where excessive movement makes your own shots worse.

A useful rule is:

Move enough to make yourself difficult to hit, but not so much that you can’t control your weapon.

That balance is more valuable than performing complicated movement techniques.

Reloading

Reloading creates a vulnerable moment.

Rather than standing in the open while your weapon reloads, use the time to:

Move behind cover.
Change your angle.
Strafe toward safety.
Break the enemy’s line of sight.
Create enough distance to reset the fight.

The same principle applies when healing.

Don’t automatically heal in the exact location where you took damage. If the enemy knows where you are, reposition first whenever the situation allows it.

Moving While Healing

Healing is another opportunity to think about movement.

If you’re behind solid cover, stay protected.

If your cover is weak or the enemy has an angle on it, consider repositioning before committing to a longer heal.

The goal isn’t to constantly run around while healing. It’s to avoid giving an opponent an easy prediction.

Advanced Apex Legends Movement Techniques

Once the basics become comfortable, you can start experimenting with more advanced movement.

However, there is an important warning here: Apex movement mechanics have changed over the game’s lifespan.

Old movement tutorials can remain popular long after the underlying mechanics have been adjusted. Respawn has previously made changes to tap-strafing and specifically described its intention to alter rapid directional inputs associated with the technique.

For that reason, treat older movement tutorials with caution and verify advanced techniques against current patch notes or in-game behavior before building your playstyle around them.

Bunny Hopping

Bunny hopping refers to maintaining momentum through repeated jumps and movement inputs.

It has historically been used to make certain movement situations more fluid, particularly when repositioning or combining movement with healing.

The exact usefulness and execution of movement techniques can change as Apex evolves, so don’t make bunny hopping your first priority.

If your basic slide jumps and strafing aren’t consistent yet, you’ll get more value from practicing those skills.

Tap-Strafing

Tap-strafing is one of the most well-known advanced Apex movement techniques, particularly among mouse-and-keyboard players.

The term has also been used to describe slightly different movement behaviors, which is one reason older guides can become confusing.

Respawn has previously discussed changes targeting rapid directional commands after jumping, including the movement behavior commonly associated with scroll-wheel tap-strafing.

Because Apex is continuously updated, don’t assume that an old tap-strafing tutorial still describes the current implementation.

If you’re interested in learning it, check the latest game behavior and patch notes first.

Wall Bouncing

Wall bouncing involves using a wall and jump input to redirect your movement.

It can be useful for changing direction quickly or creating an unexpected angle during a fight.

But again, mechanics should come after fundamentals.

A player who can consistently strafe, use cover, slide, and maintain accurate aim will generally benefit more from those skills than a player who knows several flashy techniques but can’t win a basic close-range duel.

Movement and Aim Have to Work Together

Movement is only half of the equation.

If you’re moving perfectly but your crosshair is nowhere near the enemy, you’re not accomplishing much.

When practicing movement, deliberately combine it with aim.

Try this:

Pick a target in the Firing Range.
Strafe left and right.
Keep your crosshair around the target’s upper body.
Fire short bursts.
Change direction.
Repeat without stopping your tracking.

Once that feels comfortable, add slides and jumps.

This gradually teaches your hands to coordinate movement and aiming rather than treating them as two separate skills.

EA’s current PC guidance also emphasizes tracking, crosshair placement, recoil control, and regular Firing Range practice.

Movement for Rotations and Team Play

Movement isn’t only for winning 1v1 fights.

It also affects how effectively your squad rotates around the map.

Apex rewards teams that move together and avoid unnecessary exposure. EA recommends staying close to your squad and using movement options to avoid falling behind.

If your teammates are rotating, don’t take an unnecessary detour just because you spotted some loot.

If you’re crossing an open area, think about the safest route rather than simply taking the shortest one.

If the Ring is closing, holster your weapon when appropriate and focus on getting your squad into a good position.

Movement becomes much more powerful when your entire team arrives at the next fight together.

The Biggest Movement Mistakes Beginners Make

Learning what not to do can save you a lot of time.

1. Moving Constantly Without a Purpose

Movement isn’t automatically useful just because you’re moving.

If you’re already behind cover, there may be no reason to sprint around.

Sometimes the strongest position is simply the one that gives you the best angle and protection.

2. Prioritizing Speed Over Cover

Running quickly into an open area can put you in a worse position than moving slowly between pieces of cover.

Don’t confuse mobility with safety.

3. Practicing Advanced Mechanics Too Early

It’s tempting to spend hours learning complicated movement because it looks impressive.

But if your strafing, slide jumping, aim, and positioning are inconsistent, advanced techniques shouldn’t be your main focus yet.

Build the foundation first.

4. Repeating the Same Movement Pattern

Predictable movement is easy to punish.

If you always strafe in the same direction, always slide at the same distance, or always take the same route around cover, experienced opponents can anticipate you.

5. Forgetting Your Squad

Apex is a team game.

Being mechanically fast doesn’t help much if you leave your teammates behind and start a fight alone.

Stay close enough that your squad can support you when an engagement begins.

A Simple Apex Legends Movement Practice Routine

You don’t need a complicated training schedule.

Spend 10–15 minutes in the Firing Range before playing if you want to work specifically on movement.

Apex Legends movement practice drill showing sprint, slide, slide jump, strafe, aim, and cover in sequence

Drill 1: Slide Jumps

Spend a few minutes moving around the range using sprint → slide → jump.

Focus on consistency rather than speed.

Drill 2: Strafing

Choose a target and strafe from side to side while keeping your crosshair on it.

Change your timing occasionally.

Drill 3: Movement + Shooting

Shoot while strafing.

Concentrate on keeping your aim stable while changing direction.

Drill 4: Cover

Move between pieces of cover and practice exposing yourself only long enough to take shots.

This teaches an important habit: movement should create safer opportunities, not simply make you harder to hit.

Drill 5: Apply It in Real Matches

Finally, stop practicing and play.

Movement needs to become useful under pressure.

A mechanic that works perfectly against a stationary target can feel completely different when you’re low on health, being pushed by a squad, and trying to reach cover.

That is why actual matches are part of the practice process.

Which Apex Legends Are Best for Learning Movement?

Some Legends naturally encourage players to think more about mobility.

Octane

Octane is an obvious choice for movement-focused players because his kit is built around speed and mobility.

His Stim and Launch Pad make it easier to experiment with aggressive repositioning and fast rotations.

If you’re learning how to use movement to create openings, Octane is a natural Legend to explore.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder rewards players who pay attention to terrain and positioning.

His mobility encourages you to think vertically and look for creative routes around the map.

Wraith

Wraith’s kit can complement players who enjoy taking aggressive angles and quickly disengaging from dangerous situations.

However, you don’t need a mobility-focused Legend to learn good movement.

The fundamentals apply to every Legend.

Apex currently divides Legends into five classes—Assault, Controller, Recon, Skirmisher, and Support—with Skirmishers specifically focused on fast-paced combat and mobility.

Apex Legends Movement Settings

Your settings can affect how comfortable movement feels.

Rather than copying a professional player’s configuration exactly, start with controls that feel natural and make it easy to access the inputs you use most.

Controller players can also explore Advanced Look Controls if they want more control over aiming and movement. EA describes ALC as settings that provide greater control over these areas.

The most important thing is consistency.

If you constantly change sensitivity, button layouts, or movement settings, it becomes harder to develop reliable muscle memory.

Find a setup that feels comfortable and give yourself time to learn it.

The Movement Rule Most Beginners Get Wrong

Here’s the biggest lesson to take away from this guide:

The best movement isn’t necessarily the fastest movement.

Good movement helps you accomplish something.

Maybe you’re moving toward cover.

Maybe you’re breaking an enemy’s line of sight.

Maybe you’re creating a better angle.

Maybe you’re dodging shots while maintaining your aim.

Maybe you’re rotating with your squad before another team can take the position you want.

If you can’t explain why you’re moving, there’s a good chance you’re moving too much.

That mindset will take you further than memorizing a list of advanced techniques.

Final Thoughts

Apex Legends movement can look intimidating when you watch highly skilled players chaining together advanced mechanics, but you don’t need to master everything at once.

Start with the fundamentals:

Sprint efficiently.
Holster your weapon when travelling safely.
Learn consistent slide jumps.
Practice strafing while aiming.
Use cover instead of relying purely on speed.
Change your movement patterns so you’re harder to predict.
Move with your squad.
Practice advanced techniques only after the basics feel natural.

Once those habits become automatic, you can start experimenting with more advanced movement mechanics.

And remember that Apex is a live-service game. Movement mechanics can be adjusted over time, so older tutorials aren’t always reliable sources for current techniques. Keep an eye on current updates when learning mechanics such as tap-strafing or other advanced movement techniques.

The goal isn’t to become the flashiest player in the lobby.

It’s to become the player who is consistently in the right place, at the right time, with enough control to win the fight.

Game Boosting Risks: How Anti-Cheat Detects Account Sharing

Logging into a game like Valorant, Call of Duty, or World of Warcraft after a long workday only to get crushed by a five-stack of coordinated players is a frustrating reality for modern gamers. Between daily battle pass deadlines, seasonal rank resets, and aggressive matchmaking algorithms, multiplayer games demand hundreds of hours to stay competitive.

That time sink has fueled a massive underground economy around game boosting—the practice of hiring a high-skilled player to level up your character, carry you through endgame raids, or push your account into top-tier rank brackets.

While boosting marketplace sites present these services as harmless convenience purchases, the technical reality on the backend tells a different story. Modern anti-cheat engines are no longer just looking for third-party hacks; they actively track hardware telemetry, behavioral metrics, and network fingerprints to catch and ban account sharing.

How Boosting Services Actually Work: Self-Play vs. Piloted

When you browse a marketplace for power leveling or rank services, every order falls into one of two delivery models. Understanding the technical mechanics behind each is the difference between keeping your account safe and facing a permanent HWID (Hardware ID) ban.

			
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                             BOOSTING RISK SPECTRUM                            |
|                                                                               |
|  [Self-Play / Carry]  <----->  [Piloted + VPN Spoof]  <----->  [Piloted + Botting] |
|      (Low Risk)                  (Medium/High Risk)               (Near 100% Ban) |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

		

1. Self-Play (Co-Op / Party Carries)

The Process: You log into your own account and queue up directly alongside a high-skilled booster (or team of boosters) in a party lobby.
Security Risk:Low. Anti-cheat clients like Easy Anti-Cheat or BattlEye treat this as standard matchmaking. Unless the booster you are partying with gets caught using active, memory-injecting cheats during your match, your account remains clean.
Trade-off: Self-play requires your active time and is typically 20% to 50% more expensive because it demands coordinated live scheduling from the booster.

2. Piloted (Account Sharing)

The Process: You hand over your account credentials (username, temporary password, and 2FA auth codes). A booster logs into your account on their personal PC or virtual machine to complete the order while you are offline.
Security Risk:Extremely High. Publishers actively monitor account authentication anomalies. Sharing credentials violates the Terms of Service (ToS) of virtually every major studio, including Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Activision, and Valve.

How Anti-Cheat Systems (Vanguard & Ricochet) Flag Boosted Accounts

Many boosting providers claim that using a VPN matching your local city makes piloted boosting “100% safe.” That claim relies on outdated security assumptions. Modern kernel-level anti-cheat engines evaluate multiple telemetry layers that bypass standard VPN location spoofing:

1. Hardware ID (HWID) Fingerprinting

Anti-cheat engines like Riot Vanguard (operating at Windows kernel Ring 0) and Activision’s RICOCHET do not just check your IP address. They map your machine’s hardware composite by querying:

SMBIOS Type 2 motherboard serial numbers (Win32_BaseBoard).
Disk drive serial numbers (Win32_DiskDrive).
Windows Registry cryptographic GUIDs (MachineGuid).
CPU microcode hashes and MAC addresses.

When an account logs in from New York using a local VPN IP address, but its underlying hardware fingerprint instantly swaps from an Asus motherboard to an ASUSTeK server blade or a completely different GPU hardware composite, automated security flags fire instantly.

2. Behavioral Metrics & Input Telemetry

Server-side analytics monitor how an account is played. Anti-cheat engines build historical baselines for your profile based on:

Input Dynamics: Mouse DPI settings, polling rates, and crosshair movement trajectories.
Hotkey Mapping: Immediate changes to keybindings (e.g., swapping Flash from F to D or changing crouch inputs).
Statistical Spikes: An account jumping from a 0.9 K/D ratio in Gold 2 to a 3.5 K/D with an 85% headshot accuracy in Immortal lobby lobbies within 48 hours creates an immediate anomaly flag.

       [Normal Player Profile]              [Flagged Boosted Profile]
   +------------------------------+     +------------------------------+
   | - Win Rate: 48-52%           |     | - Win Rate: 92%              |
   | - Headshot %: 18-22%         | --> | - Headshot %: 64%            |
   | - Keybinds: Fixed / Standard |     | - Keybinds: Sudden Rebinds   |
   | - HWID: Constant Desktop PC  |     | - HWID: Unrecognized Laptop  |
   +------------------------------+     +------------------------------+

3. The Hidden Danger of Cheap “Bot-Boosted” Accounts

To maximize profit margins, low-cost boosting providers rely on automated scripts, memory hooks, or pixel-botting to farm experience points or clear repetitive quests. If a third-party booster uses an undetected cheat script on your account, an anti-cheat update 2 weeks later will catch that digital signature—resulting in a permanent, non-appealable ban on your main account.

Breakdown Across Specific Gaming Genres

The operational structure and risk profiles for boosting vary significantly depending on the genre you play:

Game Genre	Common Boost Types	Typical Delivery Method	Risk Assessment
Tactical Shooters (Valorant, CS2, R6 Siege)	Rank division pushes, Placement matches, K/D fixes.	Duo-Queue (Self-Play) or Piloted	Piloted is High Risk due to kernel anti-cheat hardware checks. Self-play is strongly recommended.
MMORPGs (WoW, FFXIV, OSRS)	Mythic+ dungeon carries, Raid gear drops, Skill grinds (Mining/Agility).	Self-Play Raid Teams or Piloted Skill Grinding	Medium Risk. Raids are almost entirely self-play carries. Solo skill grinds in games like OSRS carry high account-sharing flags.
Battle Royales / FPS (Apex Legends, CoD)	Predator/Master badges, Weapon camo mastery (Interstellar/Borealis).	Piloted or Squad Carry	High Risk for Piloted Camos. RICOCHET frequently shadow-bans accounts that exhibit sudden statistical skill spikes.
ARPGs & Gacha Games (Diablo IV, Genshin)	Level 100 power leveling, Boss carries, Daily stamina farming.	Piloted	Low to Medium Risk. Publishers focus heavily on gold dupe/RMT bans, but account sharing carries lower automated priority than FPS titles.

Realistic Pricing Models

If you are evaluating boosting services, pricing reflects the skill required and the time commitment involved. Be cautious of services priced drastically below industry averages:

Entry-Level Rank Pushes (e.g., Bronze to Gold): Typically ranges from $15 to $40. These ranks require minimal time for high-rank players and are often completed in a single session.
High-Tier Rank Pushes (e.g., Diamond to Master/Immortal): Ranges from $150 to $500+. Pushing top 1% matchmaking brackets requires elite boosters, high win-rate guarantees, and significantly more hours.
Endgame Raid Carries (e.g., WoW Mythic Runs): Cost anywhere from $30 to $120 per run, often bundled with “loot funnels” (where boosters of your armor class trade all drop items directly to you).

Account Security Checklist: How to Protect Yourself

If you choose to use a self-play or carry service to save time, follow these strict security protocols:

Never Share Account Passwords: Always insist on Self-Play (Duo/Party) options. If a site claims a piloted boost is the “only way,” find a different provider.
Never Disable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Keep 2FA linked to your personal mobile device so credentials cannot be changed without your physical authorization.
Beware of Discord-Only Vendors: Independent sellers operating strictly out of unregulated Discord servers offer no buyer protection or refund recourse if your account is compromised or banned.
Change Passwords Immediately After Use: If you ever share credentials for a service, update your password and log out of all active remote sessions immediately after completion.

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Resident Evil Requiem: Best Weapons & Upgrades

Resident Evil Requiem gives Leon plenty of guns to play with, but that doesn’t mean you should buy every weapon you come across.

Credits are limited, inventory space matters, and some weapons are far more useful than others during a normal playthrough. The right upgrades can make a bigger difference than simply carrying a larger arsenal.

So if you’re wondering which weapons are actually worth buying and upgrading in Resident Evil Requiem, this guide cuts through the clutter.

Our short list: the Silencer 9 is the best all-purpose handgun, the 990-TAC is the shotgun I’d prioritize first, and the Classic 70 is the rifle I’d keep once it becomes available. For players working through New Game+ and bonus content, weapons such as the Clatter Carbine, Ghost Grudge, Mortal Edge, and RPG-7 become much more attractive.

If you want the complete weapon list and acquisition locations first, check our [Resident Evil Requiem: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them] guide.

How We Rank the Best Weapons

There isn’t one objectively “best” weapon in Resident Evil Requiem.

Our recommendations are based on damage, ammunition economy, upgrade potential, availability, inventory space, versatility, and how useful a weapon is during a normal playthrough.

First-run weapons are also judged differently from bonus weapons. A gun that is fantastic after you’ve finished the campaign isn’t necessarily the smartest purchase when you’re still scraping together Credits in East Raccoon City.

That’s the distinction that matters when you’re deciding what to spend your money on.

Quick rule: Don’t spend Credits trying to build a collection. Build a loadout you can actually afford to feed.

Best Weapons in Resident Evil Requiem at a Glance

Weapon	Best For	Recommendation
Silencer 9	Best all-purpose handgun	★★★★★
990-TAC	Best early shotgun	★★★★★
Classic 70	Best rifle	★★★★★
Stiri REVO3 A1	Best general-purpose SMG	★★★★☆
Requiem	Heavy targets and specific enemies	★★★★☆
Clatter Carbine	Best post-game automatic weapon	★★★★★
Ghost Grudge	Heavy single-target damage	★★★★☆
Mortal Edge	Best bonus melee weapon	★★★★☆
RPG-7	Maximum firepower	★★★★★

The important distinction is that not every weapon needs an upgrade path. Leon’s weapons can be upgraded at Supply Boxes, while Grace’s normal firearms do not have conventional weapon upgrades.

Best Handgun: Silencer 9

If you’re buying one handgun for Leon and want something that will remain useful for most of the game, make it the Silencer 9.

It costs 5,500 Credits at the Supply Box in East Raccoon City. Its built-in suppressor is useful, but the real appeal is the combination of precision, stability, rate of fire, and magazine capacity. It starts with a 17-round capacity and has a strong selection of upgrades.

Silencer 9 upgrades

The first upgrade tier includes:

Add-on Suppressor — increases Power
Aluminum Trigger — improves Rate of Fire
High-Capacity Mag. — increases ammunition capacity

The second tier improves those same components, while the third tier becomes available through Advanced Tuning.

What should you upgrade first?

For a normal playthrough, I’d prioritize:

Add-on Suppressor
High-Capacity Mag.
Aluminum Trigger

The suppressor upgrade gives you more damage, while the larger magazine gives you more breathing room when several enemies are pushing you at once.

Don’t rush to buy every upgrade immediately. Credits are better spent on the weapons and defensive upgrades that actually change how you play.

Best Shotgun: 990-TAC

The 990-TAC is one of the easiest recommendations in the entire game.

It costs 7,000 Credits and is worth replacing the earlier MSBG 500 with once the Supply Box becomes available. The 990-TAC’s semi-automatic action gives it a much higher rate of fire than the pump-action alternatives, and its tight spread makes it useful beyond point-blank range.

990-TAC upgrades

Its upgrade tree includes:

Ceramic Coated Barrel — Power
Stock — Stability
Carbon Tube Extension — Reload Speed and capacity
Dot Sight — Precision

The first upgrade I’d buy is the Ceramic Coated Barrel. Damage matters most when you’re using the shotgun to stop an enemy before it reaches you.

After that, the Carbon Tube Extension is a sensible investment because the additional capacity and reload improvement make the weapon easier to use under pressure.

If you’re short on Credits, don’t feel obligated to max every stat. A couple of well-chosen upgrades will do more for a first playthrough than emptying your wallet into a single gun.

Best Rifle: Classic 70

This is one place where weapon rankings can get misleading.

The Marksman 1A looks tempting because you can find it in an East Raccoon City BSAA container, but the Classic 70 is the rifle I’d recommend keeping for a normal playthrough.

The Classic 70 has the highest damage per shot among the rifle options highlighted by current weapon comparisons. Its trade-off is obvious: the bolt-action operation and slower reload make follow-up shots considerably slower.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The Classic 70 is at its best when you’re using it deliberately—putting a powerful round into a dangerous target rather than trying to use it like an assault rifle.

Should you keep the Marksman 1A?

You can, but there’s little reason to build your entire loadout around it if you’re happy with the Classic 70.

The Marksman 1A can also be bought later if you don’t have room for it when you first discover it.

Best SMG: Stiri REVO3 A1

The Stiri REVO3 A1 is the practical choice when you want sustained automatic fire.

It costs 6,000 Credits and starts with a 30-round magazine. Its upgrade path can push that capacity to 40, 45, and eventually 50 rounds, giving it plenty of ammunition for encounters where precision shooting isn’t enough.

Its most useful upgrades are:

Long Flash Guard — Power
Folding Stock — Stability
High-Capacity Mag. — Magazine capacity
Dot Sight — Precision

I’d start with the Long Flash Guard, then take the High-Capacity Mag. if you’re regularly burning through ammunition.

The Stiri is not the weapon I’d tell a first-time player to dump every Credit into. The Silencer 9 and 990-TAC are more important early purchases.

But once your core loadout is established, the Stiri gives Leon a useful automatic option.

Requiem: Save It for the Targets That Deserve It

The Requiem is a powerful revolver that uses 12.7x55mm ammunition. It isn’t a weapon you want to treat like a conventional handgun.

Its base Power is already high, while its rate of fire, reload speed, and stability are deliberately poor.

That makes ammunition conservation important.

The Requiem is particularly useful against tougher enemies and certain special encounters. Current guides specifically recommend it for targets including the basement girl, East Wing Chunk, Zombie Chef, and Blister Heads.

If you upgrade it, the Ported Barrel is the straightforward damage choice. The Barrel Jacket is more useful if you want better handling and faster follow-up shots.

Don’t burn through Requiem ammunition just because you have the gun equipped.

Best Post-Game Weapon: Clatter Carbine

Once you’ve finished the story and start spending CP on bonus weapons, the Clatter Carbine becomes one of the most appealing purchases.

It’s an assault rifle available through the Special Content menu after your first playthrough. It costs 6,000 CP.

This is where the weapon economy changes.

During your first run, you’re balancing every Credit against ammunition, armor, inventory upgrades, and essential weapons. In post-game content, you have considerably more freedom to build a specialized loadout.

The Clatter Carbine is therefore an excellent candidate if you want an automatic weapon that can handle a wide range of encounters.

Best Heavy-Hitting Bonus Firearm: Ghost Grudge

The Ghost Grudge is a 12.7x55mm revolver available through Special Content for 1,000 CP after completing the game.

It’s a much more specialized purchase than the Silencer 9 or 990-TAC, but that’s exactly why it works well as a bonus weapon.

Use it when you want to put serious damage into a single target rather than conserve every round for routine enemies.

It’s particularly attractive once you’re doing repeat runs and have already established your normal loadout.

Best Bonus Melee Weapon: Mortal Edge

The Mortal Edge is worth keeping in mind for players who like to use melee aggressively.

You can obtain it during the story after the hatchet-wielding boss, and the weapon has higher damage and better durability than the standard Hatchet. It is also available as a 3,000 CP bonus weapon.

The biggest reason to use it isn’t simply damage.

Mortal Edge gives you a more forgiving melee option, making it particularly attractive for players who are comfortable parrying and using melee to conserve ammunition.

If you’re trying to play efficiently, that’s a meaningful advantage.

Best Bonus Weapon for Grace

Grace’s weapons work differently from Leon’s.

Her standard firearms cannot be upgraded at Supply Boxes, so you shouldn’t approach her equipment the same way you approach Leon’s guns.

For bonus content, however, Grace gets two notable options:

Freya’s Needle — 4,000 CP
Kotetsu — 5,000 CP

Both are unlocked through Special Content after completing a first playthrough.

Freya’s Needle gives Grace a full-auto pistol, while Kotetsu is an unbreakable knife.

If you prefer conserving ammunition and already enjoy Grace’s melee-heavy approach, Kotetsu is the more interesting utility purchase. If you’d rather have a firearm that changes her combat options, Freya’s Needle is the obvious choice.

R.I.P. Knife: An Insanity-Difficulty Exception

The R.I.P. Knife deserves its own category because it isn’t simply another damage upgrade.

On Insanity difficulty, it can be purchased in the Care Center’s Parlor for Antique Coins and replaces one of the standard Parlor rewards. Its special purpose is producing more Blood when used, making it particularly useful for players learning how to manage Grace’s resources on the harder difficulty.

The Parlor’s normal upgrade selection also changes on Insanity, so don’t follow a Casual/Standard shopping list blindly.

If you’re preparing specifically for Insanity, our [Resident Evil Requiem: Complete Puzzle Solutions] guide can also help with the Blood Analyzer and related progression.

What Should You Buy First?

This is where weapon guides usually become less useful than they should be.

Knowing that the 990-TAC is good doesn’t help much if you’re sitting on 8,000 Credits and wondering whether to buy the shotgun, upgrade your case, or purchase armor.

For a first Leon playthrough, I’d use this order:

1. Case Upgrade

The Case Upgrade costs 4,000 Credits and increases Leon’s inventory from 8×12 to 8×13. It’s a one-time purchase and makes every subsequent section easier to manage.

2. 990-TAC

At 7,000 Credits, this is the first weapon purchase I’d prioritize.

3. Silencer 9

At 5,500 Credits, the Silencer 9 gives you a dependable handgun for the bulk of Leon’s encounters.

4. Body Armor

Body Armor Level 1 costs 8,000 Credits, while Level 2 costs another 15,000 Credits on the normal difficulties.

Don’t underestimate this purchase. Surviving a hit is sometimes worth more than squeezing another fraction of damage out of a weapon.

5. Weapon Upgrades

Once your basic equipment is covered, start putting Credits into the weapons you actually use.

This priority broadly matches current Supply Box recommendations, which put the Case Upgrade, 990-TAC, Silencer 9, Body Armor, and then weapon upgrades near the top of the shopping list.

Credits vs. CP: Don’t Mix Them Up

Resident Evil Requiem uses two currencies for different purposes.

Credits are your normal gameplay currency. You earn them during Leon’s sections and spend them at Supply Boxes on weapons, ammunition, armor, inventory upgrades, and weapon upgrades.

CP (Challenge Points) are used for bonus content.

That means you shouldn’t look at a 6,000-CP bonus weapon and think it’s competing directly with your 6,000-Credit Stiri purchase.

They’re two separate progression economies.

Save Credits for surviving the current run. Spend CP on the toys you want for subsequent runs.

Advanced Tuning and the 25 Mr. Raccoons

If you’re serious about maximizing Leon’s weapons, there’s another reason to hunt down the game’s collectibles.

Destroying all 25 Mr. Raccoon Memoriams unlocks the Advanced Tuning reward, allowing compatible Leon weapons to access their third upgrade tier.

That’s a substantial late-game investment, particularly if you’re planning multiple runs.

If you haven’t collected them all yet, our [Resident Evil Requiem: All Mr. Raccoon Locations] guide has the complete list.

And because Requiem has no traditional chapter select, it’s worth paying attention to collectible opportunities during your normal exploration rather than assuming you can clean everything up later.

Best First-Playthrough Loadout

If you want a straightforward Leon loadout without wasting Credits, I’d build around:

Handgun: Silencer 9
Shotgun: 990-TAC
Rifle: Classic 70
Heavy weapon: Requiem
Automatic weapon: Stiri REVO3 A1
Melee: Mortal Edge when available
Defense: Body Armor

You don’t need to carry every weapon.

Inventory space is valuable, and carrying guns you rarely use simply because you found them isn’t automatically an advantage. Leon can sell weapons at Supply Boxes and buy them again later if necessary, so don’t be afraid to clean up your inventory.

The better approach is to carry weapons that cover different jobs.

The Silencer 9 handles routine enemies. The 990-TAC handles close-range emergencies. The Classic 70 gives you a powerful precision option. The Requiem is there when something needs to stop being your problem immediately.

That’s enough firepower for most situations.

Best New Game+ Spending Order

New Game+ is where the bonus weapons start making much more sense.

If you’ve already finished the campaign and have CP available, I’d prioritize:

Clatter Carbine
Ghost Grudge
Mortal Edge
Kotetsu
Freya’s Needle
Matilda IMP
Redemption
RPG-7

The RPG-7 is the obvious choice if you simply want maximum destructive power, but its high CP cost makes it more of a luxury purchase than a first bonus weapon. The RPG-7 costs 15,000 CP, with its infinite-ammo option requiring another major CP investment.

Likewise, Redemption is powerful but highly specialized. It fires a single rifle round and must be reloaded after every shot, so its damage comes with a very obvious handling cost.

Which Upgrades Are Actually Worth Buying?

You don’t need to max every weapon.

For most players, upgrade priority should look something like this:

Handgun

Prioritize Power and Magazine Capacity.

The Silencer 9 already has strong handling, so increasing its damage and giving yourself more shots before reloading are the most noticeable improvements.

Shotgun

Prioritize Power, followed by Reload Speed/Capacity.

The 990-TAC is already fast-firing. Making each shell hit harder is usually more valuable than obsessing over every handling stat.

SMG

Prioritize Power and Magazine Capacity.

Automatic weapons chew through ammunition quickly. A larger magazine reduces the number of interruptions during hectic fights.

Requiem

Prioritize Power if you use it as a specialist weapon.

If you find the recoil and slow handling frustrating, the Barrel Jacket or Weighted Grip can make it easier to control.

Bonus Weapons

Don’t automatically spend CP and then immediately dump Credits into every upgrade available.

Try the weapon first.

If it changes how you play and solves a problem your normal loadout has, invest in it. If it simply duplicates a weapon you already like, save the money.

Final Verdict: Which Weapons Should You Actually Use?

For a standard first playthrough, you don’t need the fanciest arsenal in the game.

The Silencer 9, 990-TAC, and Classic 70 form the core of the Leon loadout I’d recommend. Add the Stiri REVO3 A1 if you want sustained automatic fire, and keep the Requiem for enemies that justify its ammunition.

Once you’ve finished the campaign, the equation changes. Clatter Carbine becomes a strong all-round bonus choice, Ghost Grudge gives you serious single-target firepower, and Mortal Edge is an excellent melee upgrade.

The RPG-7 is there when subtlety has officially left the building.

For Grace, don’t waste time looking for conventional weapon upgrades—her standard firearms don’t use Leon’s Supply Box upgrade system. Focus instead on her unique tools, Parlor upgrades, and the bonus weapons unlocked through Special Content.

Most importantly, spend your Credits with a purpose.

A fully upgraded collection looks impressive. A small loadout that you can keep supplied, protect with armor, and use confidently is what actually gets you through Requiem.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best handgun in Resident Evil Requiem?

The Silencer 9 is our pick for the best all-purpose handgun. It combines good damage, precision, rate of fire, and a large magazine, and it has a useful upgrade tree.

What is the best shotgun in Resident Evil Requiem?

The 990-TAC is our recommended shotgun. Its semi-automatic action gives it an excellent rate of fire, while its upgrade path can make its spread and damage even more effective.

What is the best rifle?

For a normal playthrough, we’d choose the Classic 70. It has excellent damage per shot but sacrifices firing and reload speed.

Can Grace upgrade her weapons?

No. Grace’s standard weapons don’t have Leon-style weapon upgrades at Supply Boxes.

Is the Stiri REVO3 A1 worth buying?

Yes, particularly if you want an automatic weapon. Its 30-round base magazine can be expanded through upgrades, making it useful when sustained fire matters.

Is the RPG-7 worth buying?

It’s worth it for players who want maximum firepower in subsequent runs, but at 15,000 CP, it isn’t the first bonus weapon I’d recommend buying. Infinite RPG ammunition is a separate CP purchase.

What should I buy first in Leon’s campaign?

Our priority is Case Upgrade → 990-TAC → Silencer 9 → Body Armor → weapon upgrades. This keeps inventory and survivability ahead of unnecessary weapon spending.

Sources & Updates

Last reviewed: September 2026

This guide was fact-checked against current Resident Evil Requiem weapon, upgrade, collectible, and Supply Box information. Particular attention was given to weapon costs, upgrade availability, bonus weapons, the 25 Mr. Raccoon Advanced Tuning unlock, and Insanity-specific equipment changes.

Because weapon rankings are partly subjective, this guide offers editorial recommendations rather than claims of an objectively superior weapon in every situation.

For related Requiem resources, see our All Weapons & How to Unlock Them, All Mr. Raccoon Locations, Complete Puzzle Solutions, All Safe Codes & Combinations, and Complete Walkthrough guides.

Resident Evil Requiem: All Endings & How to Unlock Them

Resident Evil Requiem has two endings, and the difference between them comes down to one decision near the end of the game: whether Grace chooses to Release Elpis or Destroy Elpis.

You don’t need to make a series of hidden choices or complete a secret set of objectives to unlock either ending. The game gives you the decision directly at the end of the ARK sequence, and your choice determines how the story concludes.

If you’re here because you’re staring at the final choice and don’t want to make the wrong call, here’s the short version:

Choose Release Elpis if you want the full ending, the final boss, and the conclusion generally treated as the game’s true or intended route.

Choose Destroy Elpis if you want to see the alternate, much darker ending.

The good news is that you don’t have to replay the entire campaign to experience both.

Spoiler warning: This guide contains major spoilers for the ending of Resident Evil Requiem, including the fate of Leon, Grace, Elpis, Zeno, and the final boss.

How Many Endings Does Resident Evil Requiem Have?

Resident Evil Requiem has two main endings:

Release Elpis — Hope Ending
Destroy Elpis — Destruction Ending

The endings are determined by a single choice at the ARK’s central terminal. Your previous choices, collectibles, exploration, and general playstyle don’t determine which ending you receive.

That makes this one of those rare Resident Evil decisions where you don’t need to worry about secretly ruining your ending hours earlier.

Once you reach the final choice, the game puts the decision in your hands.

How to Unlock Both Endings

The easiest way to see both endings is to use the system-generated save at the final decision.

When you reach the Elpis terminal, make your choice and finish the resulting ending.

Afterward, the game gives you the opportunity to return to the point immediately before the decision so you can experience the other outcome. Multiple current guides confirm that you can see both endings without replaying the entire campaign.

Best way to see both endings

If you want to experience everything with minimal repetition:

1. Reach the final Elpis decision.

2. Choose Destroy Elpis first.

3. Watch the alternate ending.

4. Use the reload option to return to the decision.

5. Choose Release Elpis.

6. Continue through the final boss and complete the full ending.

There’s a practical reason to do it in this order: the Destroy route ends much sooner, while Release Elpis takes you into the game’s actual final boss sequence.

If you’ve already chosen Release first, don’t panic. You can still experience the alternate ending by loading a suitable save from before the decision.

Ending 1: Release Elpis

How to Unlock the Release Elpis Ending

At the final terminal, choose:

Release Elpis

This is the ending most commonly regarded as the true, good, or intended ending of Resident Evil Requiem.

I would describe it as the game’s true/complete ending rather than claim that Capcom has formally labeled it canon. The distinction matters: the route clearly provides the fuller conclusion, but “officially confirmed canon” is a stronger claim than the available evidence supports.

What Happens When You Release Elpis?

The choice initially appears to be exactly what Grace fears.

Throughout the game, Elpis is treated as an extremely dangerous biological weapon. Grace therefore has every reason to hesitate before releasing it.

But the final revelation changes everything.

Elpis is an antiviral cure.

Rather than being the weapon that many characters believed it to be, Elpis can be used to cure viral infections.

That discovery completely changes the stakes of Grace’s decision.

Leon has been suffering from his infection throughout the story, and releasing Elpis gives Grace a chance to save him.

It also changes the fate of other infected characters and resolves several of the major questions surrounding the ARK and its research.

Leon’s Fate in the Release Ending

Leon survives.

Grace is able to use Elpis to cure Leon’s infection, allowing him to continue the fight instead of dying from the condition that has been consuming him.

But the story isn’t finished.

Releasing Elpis leads directly into the game’s true final boss encounter.

And that’s where things get considerably uglier.

Victor Gideon Becomes the Final Boss

After Elpis is released, the story leads into the final confrontation with Victor Gideon.

This fight is exclusive to the Release Elpis route.

Gideon undergoes a final mutation, turning the end of the campaign into a full boss battle rather than simply ending after the Elpis decision. Current guides describe his later form as a major, Nemesis-like transformation.

This is one of the biggest reasons the Release route feels like the game’s intended conclusion.

Choosing Destroy skips this entire confrontation.

What Happens After the Final Boss?

After Leon defeats Gideon, the story receives the fuller resolution that the Destroy route lacks.

Grace and Leon survive, the immediate threat is dealt with, and the campaign continues into additional ending material.

The Release route also provides post-credits scenes that expand on Grace’s future and the wider Resident Evil story.

You’ll also receive the Hope and Requiem trophy/achievement for completing this route, and current guides report that it unlocks Grace’s Report, which provides additional story and series-lore information.

So if you’re only planning to finish Resident Evil Requiem once, this is the route I’d recommend.

Release Elpis Ending: Quick Summary

Choice: Release Elpis

Result:

Elpis is revealed to be an antiviral cure.
Leon can be cured.
The story continues into the true final boss.
Victor Gideon becomes the final major threat.
Leon and Grace survive the main conclusion.
Additional ending material plays after the credits.
The Hope and Requiem trophy/achievement is awarded.
Grace’s Report becomes available.

Recommended for a first playthrough: Yes.

Ending 2: Destroy Elpis

How to Unlock the Destroy Elpis Ending

At the final terminal, choose:

Destroy Elpis

This triggers the alternate ending.

It’s the considerably darker outcome, and the consequences arrive almost immediately.

What Happens When You Destroy Elpis?

Grace chooses to destroy Elpis rather than risk releasing what she believes could be a catastrophic biological weapon.

The ARK facility begins its self-destruct sequence.

Leon and Grace are caught in the collapsing facility, and Leon makes the decision to help Grace escape.

That comes at a terrible cost.

Zeno confronts Leon.

Despite Leon’s attempt to protect Grace, Zeno ultimately kills him. Grace escapes while the ARK collapses around them.

And that’s essentially where the ending closes.

Leon Dies in the Destroy Ending

This is the major difference between the two routes.

Release Elpis: Leon survives.

Destroy Elpis: Leon dies.

The scene is deliberately brutal because Leon’s final act is to make sure Grace gets away.

It’s also the point where the player’s decision earlier in the sequence becomes painfully clear: Grace has destroyed the one thing that could have cured Leon.

The alternate ending therefore isn’t simply a different cutscene. It changes the outcome of the characters’ stories in a major way.

What Happens to Elpis?

Elpis is destroyed along with the ARK facility.

That means the antiviral cure is lost.

The larger mysteries surrounding Elpis also remain unresolved in this ending, which is another reason the Destroy route feels deliberately incomplete compared with the Release route.

Rather than giving you another boss battle and extended resolution, the game ends shortly after Leon’s death.

Is the Destroy Elpis Ending the Bad Ending?

Functionally, yes.

It’s the game’s alternate/bad ending.

The game itself doesn’t simply punish you with a small variation in the final cutscene. Choosing Destroy removes the entire final boss sequence and leaves several major story threads unresolved.

There is also no equivalent trophy/achievement for the Destroy route.

That doesn’t mean the choice is meaningless.

Actually, it’s worth seeing once.

The Destroy ending gives you a much harsher look at what happens when Grace chooses caution over hope, and it makes the consequences of the final decision considerably clearer.

Destroy Elpis Ending: Quick Summary

Choice: Destroy Elpis

Result:

The ARK begins to self-destruct.
Elpis is destroyed.
Leon stays behind to protect Grace.
Zeno kills Leon.
Grace escapes the collapsing facility.
The story ends without the Victor Gideon final boss.
Several major story threads remain unresolved.
You don’t receive the Hope and Requiem trophy/achievement.

Recommended for a first playthrough: No, unless you specifically want to see the alternate ending.

Release vs. Destroy Elpis

Here’s the quick comparison if you’re standing at the terminal right now:

Choice	Ending	Leon	Final Boss	Post-Credits	Recommendation
Release Elpis	Hope / true ending	Survives	Victor Gideon	Yes	Best first choice
Destroy Elpis	Destruction / alternate ending	Dies	None	No full equivalent	See it afterward

The Release route is substantially longer and provides the fuller resolution. Destroy is essentially the tragic alternate timeline.

Which Ending Should You Choose?

Choose Release Elpis

If you only intend to play through Resident Evil Requiem once, choose:

Release Elpis.

It’s the route that gives you:

The full ending
The final boss
Leon’s survival
The more complete resolution
Post-credits material
The Hope and Requiem trophy/achievement
Grace’s Report

It’s also the ending most sources treat as the game’s intended or canonical path. Again, I’d use “commonly treated as the true/canonical ending” rather than claiming Capcom has formally confirmed that designation.

Can You Get Both Endings in One Playthrough?

Yes.

This is one of the nicest things about Requiem’s ending system.

You don’t need to play through the entire campaign twice.

The game allows you to return to the final decision after completing an ending, letting you choose the other option.

The most efficient order

I’d recommend:

Destroy Elpis → Reload → Release Elpis

Why?

Because Destroy ends quickly.

Release sends you into the final boss and the longer ending sequence, so finishing with Release means you end your run on the game’s complete conclusion.

If you want extra insurance, keep a manual save before the final choice as well.

Does Anything Earlier in the Game Affect the Ending?

No major hidden morality system determines the ending.

The ending comes down to the final Release Elpis / Destroy Elpis decision.

You don’t need a particular number of Mr. Raccoons, a specific weapon, a certain difficulty, or a particular set of dialogue choices to unlock the Release route.

That also means you don’t need to restart your playthrough because you missed a collectible.

If you’re interested in 100% completion, however, you should still keep an eye on the game’s missable content because the ending choice and collectible completion are separate concerns.

For that, see our Resident Evil Requiem: All Mr. Raccoon Locations guide and Resident Evil Requiem: Complete Walkthrough.

Resident Evil Requiem Ending FAQs

Is Release Elpis the true ending?

Yes, in practical terms. Release Elpis is widely treated as the game’s true, good, or intended ending because it contains the full final boss, additional resolution, and post-credits material.

However, I would avoid saying that Capcom has officially confirmed it as canon unless an explicit developer statement establishes that.

Does Leon die in Resident Evil Requiem?

Only in the Destroy Elpis ending.

If you Release Elpis, Leon survives and continues into the final confrontation with Victor Gideon. If you Destroy Elpis, Zeno kills Leon during the collapsing ARK sequence.

What is Elpis in Resident Evil Requiem?

Elpis is ultimately revealed to be an antiviral cure, rather than the biological weapon Grace initially believes it to be.

That revelation is the central reason the final choice matters.

Can you fight the final boss if you destroy Elpis?

No.

The Victor Gideon final boss sequence follows the Release Elpis choice. Destroying Elpis triggers the alternate ending instead.

Can you see both endings without replaying the whole game?

Yes.

After completing one ending, the game provides a way to return to the final decision and experience the other outcome.

Is there a trophy for both endings?

The Hope and Requiem trophy/achievement is associated with the Release Elpis ending. Current guides do not list an equivalent trophy for the Destroy ending.

Resident Evil Requiem: Which Ending Is Better?

If you’re asking purely from a story perspective, Release Elpis is the clear choice.

Destroying Elpis gives you an interesting alternate outcome, but it’s intentionally bleak. Leon dies, the cure is lost, the ARK is destroyed, and the story stops before the full final confrontation.

Release Elpis, meanwhile, gives the campaign room to actually finish.

You get the Victor Gideon boss fight, Leon’s survival, additional character resolution, and post-credits material.

More importantly, the choice creates a satisfying reversal of what Grace believes Elpis represents. What looks like another Umbrella-era nightmare turns out to be the thing capable of saving the people caught in it.

That’s a much stronger ending for a first playthrough.

Final Verdict

There are two Resident Evil Requiem endings: Release Elpis and Destroy Elpis.

If you’re playing through the game for the first time, Release Elpis is the route I’d recommend.

It gives you the complete conclusion, the final boss, the additional ending material, and the outcome most commonly treated as the game’s true or intended path.

But don’t skip Destroy Elpis entirely.

It’s worth seeing once—especially because the game makes it unusually easy to return to the final decision and experience both outcomes without replaying the entire campaign.

So, if you’re standing at that terminal right now:

Destroy first if you want to see everything efficiently.

Reload.

Then Release Elpis and finish the story properly.

Sources & Updates

Last reviewed: September 2026

This guide was fact-checked against multiple current Resident Evil Requiem ending references, including Game8, PC Gamer, GameSpot, GamesRadar+, Prima Games, Kotaku, and Gamer Guides. The core ending structure is consistent across these sources: Release Elpis leads to the longer final route and Victor Gideon encounter, while Destroy Elpis produces the alternate ending in which Leon dies.

Editorial note: Loot Strategist describes Release Elpis as the true/intended ending based on the game’s structure and available evidence. We avoid claiming that Capcom has formally declared it canon unless an official source explicitly confirms that designation.

Related Loot Strategist guides:

Resident Evil Requiem: Complete Walkthrough

Resident Evil Requiem takes Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy through Wrenwood, the Rhodes Hill Care Center, Raccoon City, and the ARK. The campaign is largely linear, but several areas contain optional rooms, collectibles, weapons, puzzles, and side objectives that become unavailable after you move too far forward. There is no traditional Chapter Select or free-roam cleanup after the story, so keeping manual saves at major transitions is worthwhile.

This walkthrough follows the story in progression order. It focuses on the things that can actually stop your run: key items, routes, puzzles, major fights, character switches, optional opportunities worth taking, and points of no return.

For the detailed item-level guides, use the dedicated Loot Strategist articles linked throughout the walkthrough.

Spoiler warning: This is a complete story walkthrough. It includes major locations, bosses, story decisions, weapons, puzzles, and the endings.

Resident Evil Requiem Walkthrough: Story Order

Area	Main Character(s)	Major Objectives
1. Wrenwood	Grace → Leon	Investigate the hotel and escape
2. Rhodes Hill – Care Center	Grace → Leon → Grace	Escape, obtain wristbands, solve Quartz puzzles
3. Care Center Basement	Grace	Reach Emily and progress through the basement
4. Care Center Courtyard	Grace → Leon	VIP Suite, underground facility, Blister Borne
5. Water Treatment Plant	Grace	Restore power and escape
6. East Raccoon City	Leon	Reach Central Camp and progress toward the city center
7. Raccoon City Center	Leon	Reach the R.P.D. and solve its optional puzzles
8. Orphanage	Leon	Survive the stealth section and reach the lab
9. Side Street	Leon	Escape the R.P.D., fight the Tyrant, reach the ARK
10. ARK	Leon → Grace → Leon	Reach Elpis, choose its fate, defeat the final boss

This is the practical area structure used by current full walkthroughs. The broader game is divided into four major regions—Wrenwood, Rhodes Hill, Raccoon City, and ARK—with these ten playable sections nested inside them.

Before You Start

Keep Manual Saves

Resident Evil Requiem has no traditional Chapter Select and no post-game free roam. Some areas close permanently once the story advances. Current 100% walkthroughs recommend using the game’s manual-save slots to preserve access to earlier sections.

For a first playthrough, make a manual save:

Before leaving a major region
Before entering an obvious boss sequence
Before a major character switch
Before progressing past a section with collectibles or optional rooms

This is particularly useful for the Care Center and R.P.D.

Don’t Treat This as a Collectible List

This article is your story progression guide.

The complete Loot Strategist guides for Mr. Raccoons, safe combinations, weapons, and puzzles should be used alongside it rather than repeating every individual item here.

That keeps this page useful to someone who is actually trying to finish the story while giving the specialist pages room to cover their own search intent.

1. Wrenwood

Playable characters: Grace, then Leon

Wrenwood is the game’s opening area and introduces Grace’s investigation before handing control to Leon. Current walkthroughs divide the section into Grace’s hotel investigation and Leon’s pursuit sequence.

Investigate the Crime Scene

After the opening scenes, Grace begins on the streets of Wrenwood.

Before moving on, inspect the City Map nearby and check the Investigation Report already in your inventory. The Investigation Report needs to be examined from the Files/Items menu to register it properly.

Continue down the street and follow the route into the alley.

The story will lead you toward the Wrenwood Hotel.

Enter the Wrenwood Hotel

The main entrance isn’t available, so take the route around the building and enter through the rear entrance.

Continue through the hotel until you reach the Lounge & Bar.

In the dark area, inspect the photograph to obtain the Old Key.

Use the Old Key to continue deeper into the hotel.

Find the Wire Cutters

Continue through the hotel and reach the upper floors.

You’ll eventually enter the Recreation Room.

The Wire Cutters are on the pool table.

Take them and use them to cut through the blocked route.

Continue toward Room 204 and inspect the photographs there to trigger the next story sequence.

Escape the Hotel

After the investigation sequence, Grace returns to the present.

Continue through the hotel and follow the story to the painting and journal interaction.

This eventually gives you the Emergency Exit Key.

Take it upstairs and use it on the emergency exit.

After the escape sequence, control switches to Leon.

Leon: Pursue Victor

Leon takes over in Wrenwood.

Follow the main route through the streets and continue pursuing Victor.

There is little reason to wander here. The path is deliberately linear, so concentrate on keeping the chase moving until the game transitions you toward Rhodes Hill.

2. Rhodes Hill — Care Center

Playable characters: Grace → Leon → Grace

The Rhodes Hill Care Center is where Requiem’s exploration systems become much more demanding. You’ll return to the building with different characters and different access levels, so don’t assume that a room you couldn’t enter earlier is permanently inaccessible.

Current walkthroughs treat the Care Center as a major multi-stage section involving the West Wing, East Wing, Parlor, attic, and numerous optional areas.

Grace: Escape Room 203

Grace begins in Room 203.

Read the Progress Notes on the small table, then leave the room.

Follow the corridor until you reach the red light.

Turn on the light at the end of the hallway.

This establishes one of the basic rules of Grace’s Care Center sections: the darkness is not simply an atmosphere problem. Certain areas are inaccessible while they are unlit, and the Girl’s movement is influenced by the lighting system.

Get the Cherub Key

Continue to the end of the illuminated hallway.

The Cherub Key is in a drawer beside the locked gate and fuse box.

Take it back to the earlier door and use it to enter Room 201, your first save-room area.

Take the Lighter inside.

You’ll use it to access the next section.

Find the Screwdriver and Second Fuse

Use the Lighter to continue through the Care Center and reach Room 202.

Follow the clues toward the Nurses’ Station.

Use the cart to reach the Screwdriver.

Return to Room 201 and use the Screwdriver on the fuse box.

The entrance gate requires two fuses. One is already installed; the second is obtained here.

Take the second Fuse and return to the gate.

Once both fuses are in place, the route opens.

Leon: Return to the Care Center

The story shifts to Leon.

Follow the main route until you reach the Care Center interior and encounter the chainsaw-wielding enemy.

Defeat the enemy and use the chainsaw to cut through the blocked doorway.

Missable Mr. Raccoon

Immediately after cutting through the door, check the fireplace in the next room.

This is Mr. Raccoon #1.

For the full 25-statue route, use our Resident Evil Requiem: All Mr. Raccoon Locations guide.

Grace: West Wing

Control returns to Grace.

Your next objective is to obtain access to the rest of the Care Center and eventually reach the East Wing.

Move through the West Wing, checking the optional rooms when you have the appropriate access item.

Dining Room

You’ll find the B934 handgun here.

The Dining Room also connects to the Filing Room, where additional Grace equipment can be found.

Filing Room

Check the room thoroughly for the Makeshift Knife and other resources.

The Hunting Knife can also be obtained from the relevant enemy encounter near this section.

Chairman’s Office — Moon Quartz

Continue upstairs to the Chairman’s Office.

This is the first major Quartz puzzle.

Find the Pencil and use it on the notebook to reveal the celestial clue.

Solution

Moon → Sun → Star → Moon

You receive the Moon Quartz.

For the complete puzzle explanation, including how the clue works, see our Resident Evil Requiem: Complete Puzzle Solutions guide.

Parlor and East Wing Access

Continue toward the Parlor and use the available progression item to enter.

The Parlor contains upgrades and important access progression.

This is also one of your last convenient opportunities to spend the Antique Coins you’ve collected before the story moves deeper into the Care Center. Current walkthroughs note that additional upgrades are available here before the Courtyard section.

Once you obtain the East Wing Keycard, return to Central Hall.

Use the Moon Quartz in the central door and enter the East Wing.

3. Rhodes Hill — Care Center East Wing and Basement

Character: Grace

The East Wing is where Grace’s crafting, Blood Analyzer, wristband, and organ puzzles start overlapping.

Blood Lab

Enter the Blood Lab and collect the Blood Collector.

You’ll also gain access to the first Blood Analyzer sample.

Denatured Blood

Use the Denatured specimen in the Blood Analyzer.

Solution:
Left-middle node

The analysis unlocks additional crafting options. The exact analyzer solutions for every specimen are covered in the dedicated Complete Puzzle Solutions article.

Examination Room

Continue toward the Examination Room.

This room is important because it becomes the location of the Organless Corpse later in the sequence.

Collect the necessary supplies and continue toward the East Wing progression route.

Lead Researcher’s Office — Sun Quartz

Reach the Lead Researcher’s Office.

The second Quartz box is padlocked.

Obtain the Corrosive from the Conference Room and use it on the lock.

Inspect the photographs in the office for the celestial clue.

Solution

Star → Sun → Moon → Sun

This gives you the Sun Quartz.

Organ Transport Box

Continue through the West Wing/garage route until you reach the Organ Transport Box.

Inspect it from your inventory and rotate it to expose the control panel.

Solution

HAND → Middle → 5 → 2 → AUTO

The box gives you the Artificial Lungs.

For the full explanation, see our Resident Evil Requiem: Complete Puzzle Solutions guide.

Find the Artificial Heart

The other organ is obtained through the Cold Storage route.

You’ll need the Wrench to open the relevant mechanism and reach the Artificial Heart. Current walkthrough references place the Wrench and Cold Storage route between the wristband progression and the Organless Corpse sequence.

Once you have both organs, return to the Examination Room.

Organless Corpse

Insert:

Artificial Lungs → Artificial Heart

The corpse wakes up.

Defeat the resulting enemy encounter.

The reward is the Level 2 ID Wristband, which opens the next section of the East Wing.

Isolation Ward and Emily

Use the Level 2 Wristband to open the next restricted area.

Continue through the Isolation Ward and collect the necessary progression items.

Eventually you’ll obtain the Level 3 ID Wristband.

Use it to reach Emily.

Optional Mr. Raccoon

The Medication Room contains one of the Care Center’s easy-to-miss statues.

Check the correct empty cell rather than Emily’s occupied cell.

For the exact location, use the All Mr. Raccoon Locations guide.

Security Manager’s Office

Once you have access to Emily, take her to the Security Manager’s Office.

The puzzle box here doesn’t use a symbol code.

Solution

Bring Emily to the box.

She opens it automatically.

The apparent Braille puzzle is therefore a story interaction rather than a conventional combination puzzle.

4. Rhodes Hill — Care Center Courtyard

Playable characters: Grace → Leon

The Courtyard begins after you’ve completed the major Care Center progression.

Follow the path toward the houses and VIP Suite.

Current walkthroughs treat this as a separate Care Center section because it contains the final upper-area exploration before the Water Treatment Plant.

VIP Suite

The VIP Suite contains two objects that are easy to confuse.

Double Helix Puzzle

Inspect the wine bottle near the entrance.

Rotate it until you find the hidden Double Helix Model.

Take the Helix to the lectern and insert it.

That’s the actual progression puzzle.

Hourglass

The hourglass is a separate clue.

It isn’t needed to solve the Double Helix mechanism, but it matters to the Final Puzzle later in the game.

Inspect it and manipulate it to reveal the hidden clue.

For the full puzzle chain, see the Complete Puzzle Solutions guide.

Underground Facility

Continue into the underground research area.

Search the Private Lab and surrounding rooms before committing to the next major progression sequence.

This is a good place to check your inventory because you’ll soon move into another forced transition.

Blister Borne

Leon takes over for the next major combat sequence.

The Blister Borne has visible vulnerable growths that should be prioritized rather than simply firing at its entire body.

Keep moving around the arena and use the available terrain to maintain distance.

Once the encounter ends, the story moves to the Water Treatment Plant.

5. Water Treatment Plant

Character: Grace

The Water Treatment Plant is one of the most stressful Grace sections because the Girl becomes an active threat while you’re restoring power.

Current walkthroughs identify the Roof Hatch Manual and three separate power objectives as the key progression points.

Get to the Surface

Start in the Storage Bay.

Read the Roof Hatch Manual beside the typewriter.

Before moving deeper, make sure the Requiem revolver is available in Grace’s inventory if you want to use it for the upcoming encounter. Current walkthroughs specifically flag this weapon opportunity during the Water Treatment Plant sequence.

Restore the Three Power Systems

The objective is to restore the plant’s power so you can reach the roof hatch.

You will move through the plant’s storage, treatment, and control areas while the Girl attempts to intercept you.

First Power System

Reach the first control and activate it.

Use nearby lighting to temporarily create safer space when necessary.

Second Power System

Continue toward the Chemical Treatment area.

The interaction takes time, so be ready to retreat if the Girl closes the distance.

Third Power System

The final control requires a Crank Lever.

Search the Filing Room for it, then return to the Control Room and install it.

Once all three systems are active, return to the roof-hatch route.

Escape the Water Treatment Plant

Reach the roof controls and activate the hatch.

This triggers the final confrontation in the section.

Once Grace survives the encounter, the Rhodes Hill portion of the story ends and Leon returns for the transition to Raccoon City.

6. Raccoon City — East Raccoon City

Character: Leon

East Raccoon City is the game’s biggest exploration-heavy urban area.

Unlike the Care Center, you have several connected routes and optional locations here, so this is where keeping track of your key items matters most. Current walkthroughs route Leon through Café Oasis, the Applegate Hotel, Central Camp, the Underground Parking Garage, Cedarbrook Apartments, the Gas Station, Ridgewood Station, and Willis Tower.

Café Oasis

From Leon’s starting position, continue to the first major intersection.

Turn right and enter Café Oasis.

The Mr. Raccoon is behind the counter.

This is a quick optional pickup, so grab it before moving into the Applegate Hotel.

Applegate Hotel

Follow the story route through the hotel.

Progress through the building until you reach the sequence involving the Giant Spider/Titan Spinner.

During the encounter, keep moving around the arena and look for the vulnerable rear section.

After defeating it, continue into the underground route.

Central Camp

Proceed through the underground section toward Central Camp.

You’ll encounter the incomplete bomb objective and begin working with the area’s generators and fuel systems.

From this point, several optional routes become available.

Underground Parking Garage

Explore the Garage before committing to the next major story transition.

This area contains useful supplies and at least one optional weapon opportunity.

For weapon locations, see our Resident Evil Requiem: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them guide.

You can also collect the Garage’s Mr. Raccoon here.

Cedarbrook Apartments

Continue to the Apartments using the appropriate key.

Progress until you obtain the Crank.

Use it to open the balcony route and reach the upper section.

Check the refrigerator for another Mr. Raccoon.

The Apartments route then connects back into the wider East Raccoon City map.

Gas Station

Use the available ladder route to reach the Gas Station.

Search the building for supplies and the hidden Mr. Raccoon before leaving.

Ridgewood Station

Power the relevant generator and follow the newly opened underground route.

Continue until you reach the train section.

Check the train cars for the Mr. Raccoon before moving forward.

Willis Tower

Return toward Central Camp and use the restored power route to reach the Logistics Warehouse.

From the roof, use the zipline to reach Willis Tower.

Search the upper rooms before continuing.

This area contains another Mr. Raccoon and important story progression.

7. Raccoon City Center

Character: Leon

The story now moves into Raccoon City Center and the R.P.D.

After the motorcycle sequence, you’re back on foot.

Before entering the main route, look around the ruined street.

Mr. Raccoon

The next statue is in the rubble beside the destroyed tanker.

Grab it before entering the police station.

Enter the R.P.D.

Follow the main route into the police station.

The R.P.D. has several optional puzzles and collectibles, but the progression path is straightforward:

Main Hall → Operations Room → West Office / S.T.A.R.S. Office → Library → Main Hall shutters

Current walkthroughs recommend finishing the optional R.P.D. objectives before using the Mechanic Jack to open the final route to the Orphanage.

Operations Room

Search the room for files and optional interactions.

This is also the beginning of the Barry scavenger-hunt chain.

Follow Barry’s clues and check the elevated TV area when instructed.

Eventually you’ll obtain the Locker Key for JoJo’s locker in the West Office.

S.T.A.R.S. Office

The S.T.A.R.S. Office contains multiple clues.

Read the relevant Barry documents carefully.

You’ll eventually have enough information to solve the optional S.T.A.R.S. briefcase puzzle.

Briefcase solution

RRR

The clue points to Rebecca as the “rising rookie.”

The reward is the Power Shades Charm.

For the complete clue chain, see our Resident Evil Requiem: Complete Puzzle Solutions guide.

Library

Enter the Library and collect the Mechanic Jack.

Before leaving, search the central bookcase carefully for another Mr. Raccoon.

The statue is hidden behind the books and is easy to overlook.

Once you’ve finished your optional R.P.D. content, return to the Main Hall.

Use the Mechanic Jack on the shutters.

The eastern route leads to the Orphanage.

8. Orphanage

Character: Leon

The Orphanage replaces the R.P.D.’s combat focus with a stealth-heavy section.

You are better off hiding and waiting than trying to force your way through the children’s patrols.

Current walkthroughs use the same basic sequence: hide under the bed, use the play area route, hide under the children’s table, then use the hiding spaces in the Director’s Office.

Main Hall

After entering:

Enter the first room on the left.
Return toward the bedroom.
Hide under the bed until the patrol clears.
Move through the play area.
Descend to the lower floor.
Hide under the children’s table.
Wait until the route clears.

If the children block the hallway, let them detect you and retreat to the hiding place again. This can reset their position and create an opening.

Director’s Office

Enter the Director’s Office.

Interact with the light on the right.

Search the wooden drawer to obtain the Hatch Key.

When the children return, hide behind the white boxes.

Once the room is clear, use the Hatch Key on the floor hatch.

Underground Chapel

Follow the underground tunnel to the Chapel.

Go behind the altar to trigger the hidden mechanism.

The ladder initially cannot be used.

Use the nearby lever to restore the lights.

Then move the appropriate coffin and climb over the stacked coffins to reach the Fire Poker.

Use the poker to open the blocked gate.

This leads into the laboratory section.

Laboratory and Meeting Room

Once you reach the white laboratory corridor, check the accessible rooms for the area’s files.

Then enter the Meeting Room.

Use the remote on the desk.

Cycle through all of the presentation slides.

The sequence triggers a story scene and returns control to Leon at the R.P.D.

9. Raccoon City — Side Street

Character: Leon

Leon returns to the R.P.D. and immediately finds himself in another Tyrant sequence.

Escape the Tyrant

This first encounter is an escape sequence, not a boss fight.

Follow the route as the Tyrant breaks through walls and forces you through the side rooms.

When you reach the central area, use the rubble to create enough space to dodge him.

After the next cutscene, the Tyrant disappears from the R.P.D. portion of the story.

Continue toward the side street.

Parking Garage

Before continuing, explore the optional Parking Garage.

The Garage contains:

Cute Bear Charm
Silver Finish Scope for the Classic 70
Additional supplies

PowerPyx specifically places the scope in the open illuminated container in this section.

Gun Shop Kendo

Enter Gun Shop Kendo.

After the cutscene:

Turn around.

The W870 Police shotgun is on the shelf behind the door.

There is also an optional Mr. Raccoon in the alley outside the shop.

Tyrant Battle

Continue until you reach the proper Tyrant encounter.

This time you’re expected to fight.

Leon can parry certain Tyrant attacks with the Hatchet, so watch his movement rather than trying to stand still and trade damage.

Use powerful ammunition when you have clear openings, but keep enough resources for the sections that follow.

Once the Tyrant sequence is completed, continue toward the Plant 43 route.

Plant 43

You’ll encounter Plant 43 Seedlings through this section.

Wait for a seedling to expose its vulnerable interior before firing.

Check the side paths rather than following the main corridor blindly. Current 100% walkthrough references identify nine Plant 43 Seedlings across the game for the associated completion objective.

Continue until the Giant Plant encounter.

Giant Plant

Keep moving around the arena and avoid standing beneath the tentacles.

Target the exposed flower.

When the internal explosive opportunity appears, shoot it to finish the encounter.

Once the route opens, continue toward the ARK.

10. ARK

Playable characters: Leon → Grace → Leon

The ARK is the game’s final major area and contains the last major story progression, final collectibles, Elpis decision, and true final boss. Current walkthroughs divide it into Leon’s opening, the central refining objectives, Grace’s section, and the final choice.

Leon: Enter the ARK

After passing through the decontamination tunnel, look for the nearby Staff Room.

Use the save point and Supply Box before continuing.

Then move toward the Server Room.

Interact with the terminal to trigger the next sequence.

There is a final ARK Mr. Raccoon nearby in the corridor behind the boxes.

Elite Guards and Server Room

Proceed through the server area.

When the lights go out, several Elite Guards enter.

A grenade can be useful if you catch them grouped at the doorway, but don’t burn your entire inventory here.

Continue into the next rooms and search the area for ammunition and files before moving toward the deeper ARK sections.

Stockroom and Exhibition Areas

The Stockroom contains another combat sequence.

Use elevation and distance where possible.

Continue through the exhibition area and into the Guest Lounge.

Check the ARK monitors and side rooms for files before moving deeper.

This is one of the last major opportunities to organize your inventory before the game’s final objectives.

Commander

Continue until you reach the Commander encounter.

Watch for his melee attacks and take advantage of Leon’s parry mechanics.

After defeating him, collect Mortal Edge.

For its exact unlock and upgrade details, see our Resident Evil Requiem: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them guide.

Grace: Return to the ARK

Control shifts to Grace.

Her ARK section is considerably more dangerous because of the high-level Licker encounters and the confined laboratory routes.

Use the save points and storage whenever they’re available.

Current route references recommend using Acid Bottles aggressively against Lickers when necessary rather than trying to fight every enemy with conventional ammunition.

Find the Override Key

Progress through Grace’s ARK route until you obtain the Override Key.

Continue toward the Central Refining System.

You’ll need to gather the required progression items before the large central door can be opened.

Magnetic Key and Orb Progression

Continue through the relevant laboratory areas and collect the Magnetic Key.

Your next objectives revolve around the ARK’s orb system.

The Noblesse Orb and Animus Orb are required for the red-door progression.

Check the Operations Room and the associated laboratory route carefully before leaving.

There is also a final Mr. Raccoon in Grace’s ARK section. For its exact position, see the All Mr. Raccoon Locations guide.

The Elpis Choice

Eventually Grace reaches Leon at the Central Refining System.

You now have a major decision:

Release Elpis

Destroy Elpis

The choice changes the ending.

Release Elpis

Choosing Release Elpis is the canon/true ending route according to current ending references.

Elpis is revealed to be an antiviral cure, rather than the weapon the characters initially believed it to be.

Leon is cured of his T-virus syndrome, and the story continues into the Victor Gideon final boss battle. The ending also allows Grace to save Emily.

Recommendation

For your first playthrough, I recommend Release Elpis.

It is the route that continues through the true final boss and leads to the game’s canon ending.

Destroy Elpis

Choosing Destroy Elpis triggers the ARK’s self-destruct sequence.

Leon stays behind to confront Zeno while Grace escapes.

The resulting ending is the alternate outcome in which Leon dies.

If you’re aiming to see both endings, make a manual save before this decision.

Final Boss: Victor Gideon

The Release Elpis route leads into the game’s true final boss battle against Victor Gideon.

Current boss references divide the fight into distinct forms.

Phase 1

Victor fights with his mutated arm and uses close-range attacks.

Keep moving and wait for clean openings.

Leon can use the Requiem to deal heavy damage and can parry suitable attacks with the Hatchet.

Phase 2

Victor transforms into his larger, Nemesis-like form.

The priority changes from the humanoid weak point to the glowing vulnerable growths/orbs on his body.

This is the time to spend your stronger ammunition.

Keep moving, wait out his larger attacks, and punish the exposed weak points rather than firing continuously into armored areas.

Once Victor is defeated, the final story sequence begins.

Resident Evil Requiem Walkthrough: Important Missable Moments

These are the moments I’d pay closest attention to during a first run:

Wrenwood

Inspect the early files and collect the Old Key before continuing deeper into the hotel.

Care Center

Don’t leave the first Care Center sequence without completing the two-fuse gate.

Chairman’s Office

Solve the Moon → Sun → Star → Moon Quartz puzzle.

Lead Researcher’s Office

Solve the Star → Sun → Moon → Sun Quartz puzzle.

Organ route

Make sure you obtain both the Artificial Lungs and Artificial Heart before returning to the Examination Room.

Isolation Ward

Bring Emily to the Security Manager’s Office puzzle box.

Courtyard

Don’t leave Leon’s overwatch position before collecting the nearby Mr. Raccoon if you’re going for the full set.

East Raccoon City

Search the optional landmarks before moving permanently toward Raccoon City Center.

R.P.D.

Finish your optional puzzles, files, and collectibles before using the Mechanic Jack to progress to the Orphanage.

Side Street

Check the Parking Garage and Gun Shop Kendo before leaving the area.

ARK

Collect the remaining files and collectibles before using the final progression console in the Archives.

Resident Evil Requiem Completion Checklist

Use this walkthrough as the story framework, then pair it with the dedicated Loot Strategist guides.

Story

Wrenwood
Care Center
Care Center Basement
Care Center Courtyard
Water Treatment Plant
East Raccoon City
Raccoon City Center
Orphanage
Side Street
ARK

Optional Completion

Mr. Raccoons
Files
Safe combinations
BSAA Containers
Plant 43 Seedlings
Antique Coins
Weapons
Charms
Blood Analyzer
R.P.D. optional puzzles
The Final Puzzle
Alternate ending

Current collectible references identify 25 Mr. Raccoons, 75 Files, five combination safes, and nine Plant 43 Seedlings among the game’s major completion objectives.

What to Do After Finishing Resident Evil Requiem

Finishing the game unlocks additional options for repeat runs.

Insanity difficulty becomes available after completing the game once on any difficulty.

This is also the point where your Challenge Points become more valuable because Special Content unlocks additional weapons, upgrades, infinite-ammo options, and other bonuses.

For repeat runs, the most useful Loot Strategist pages are:

Resident Evil Requiem: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them
For story weapons, hidden pickups, Supply Box firearms, and Special Content.

Resident Evil Requiem: Complete Puzzle Solutions
For every major story puzzle, Blood Analyzer solution, R.P.D. puzzle, optional puzzle, and the Final Puzzle.

Resident Evil Requiem: All Safe Codes & Combinations
For every combination safe and its Insanity variant.

Resident Evil Requiem: All Mr. Raccoon Locations
For the complete 25-statue checklist and Advanced Tuning reward.

Final Thoughts

Resident Evil Requiem is most manageable when you treat each major area as its own short campaign.

Wrenwood is investigation-heavy.

The Care Center is about exploration, light, access cards, and puzzle progression.

East Raccoon City gives Leon more freedom to explore and collect weapons.

The R.P.D. and Orphanage shift the pacing again, with optional clue chains followed by a stealth section.

Then the ARK pulls everything back together for the final choice and endgame fights.

The biggest mistake on a first run is pushing the story forward without checking what the current area has to offer.

Make your saves.

Check the side rooms.

Listen for the Mr. Raccoon sound.

Use the map.

And before crossing an obvious story threshold, take a minute to decide whether you’ve finished everything you wanted from that section.

That approach makes the difference between a clean first playthrough and a cleanup run that requires replaying half the game.

For detailed help beyond the main story route, use the dedicated Resident Evil Requiem puzzle, safe-code, weapon, and Mr. Raccoon guides on Loot Strategist.

Sources & Updates

Last reviewed: September 2026

This walkthrough was checked against current Resident Evil Requiem progression references from PowerPyx, Game8, VGC, GameFAQs, and current collectible references. The article uses a practical ten-section progression structure while keeping detailed collectibles, weapons, puzzles, and safe combinations in their dedicated Loot Strategist guides.

How we verify: Story progression is cross-checked across multiple current walkthroughs. Where the game has optional or missable content, the walkthrough calls out the relevant transition rather than reproducing every collectible location in the story guide. Specialist topics—such as the 25 Mr. Raccoons, safe combinations, weapons, and puzzle solutions—are maintained in separate guides so their location-level information can be updated independently.

Guide note: The area numbering in this article is the numbering used by Loot Strategist for navigation. It is not an official in-game chapter numbering system.

Author: Daisy Miller
Guide type: Story Walkthrough
Last reviewed: September 2026

Resident Evil Requiem: Complete Puzzle Solutions

Resident Evil Requiem’s puzzles range from straightforward symbol combinations to Blood Analyzer tests, inventory-based mechanisms, and a post-game secret that took the community days—and some datamining—to fully unravel.

This guide covers the main story puzzles, optional Blood Analyzer puzzles, R.P.D. puzzles, and The Final Puzzle, with the solution, location, required items, and the important details that are easy to miss.

The separate Resident Evil Requiem Safe Codes & Combinations guide covers the game’s five combination safes, including the different Insanity codes. Keeping those in their own article makes it easier to find the exact safe combination without burying the puzzle solutions under another long list.

Spoiler warning: This guide includes story progression, late-game areas, optional puzzles, and the full post-game Final Puzzle sequence.

Resident Evil Requiem Puzzle Solutions: Quick Reference

Puzzle	Location	Solution / Action	Required?
Chairman’s Office Puzzle Box	Care Center, West Wing	Moon → Sun → Star → Moon	Yes
Lead Researcher’s Office Puzzle Box	Care Center, East Wing	Star → Sun → Moon → Sun	Yes
Organ Transport Box	Care Center Garage	HAND → middle → 5 → 2 → AUTO	Yes
Organless Corpse	Care Center Examination Room	Insert the Artificial Lungs, then Artificial Heart	Yes
Denatured Blood	Blood Lab	Left-middle node	Optional
Converged Blood	East Wing Closet	Top-middle → second from bottom	Optional
Reversible Blood	Blood Lab side room	Bottom-left → center → top-right → second from top	Optional
Polymerized Blood	East Wing Closet, Insanity	Middle-left → middle-right → middle-bottom	Optional / Insanity
Security Manager’s Office Box	Isolation Ward	Bring Emily to the box	Yes
VIP Suite Double Helix	Care Center Courtyard	Open wine bottle, take Helix, insert it	Yes
VIP Suite Hourglass	Care Center Courtyard	Inspect and rotate the hourglass	Optional / Final Puzzle
R.P.D. S.T.A.R.S. Briefcase	R.P.D.	RRR	Optional
Barry’s Scavenger Hunt	R.P.D.	Follow Barry’s clues and open JoJo’s locker	Optional
Roulette Wheel	Care Center Parlor	Shoot 29, 15, or 7, then spin to that number	Optional
The Final Puzzle	Lead Researcher’s Office	12-symbol celestial sequence	Post-game

The core story-puzzle solutions are consistent across current references; Insanity specifically adds the Polymerized Blood specimen, while safe combinations are the major difficulty-based exception.

How Resident Evil Requiem’s Puzzles Work

Most of the game’s puzzles fall into three categories.

Symbol puzzles use the Moon, Sun, and Star symbols and usually involve finding a visual clue somewhere in the room.

Inspection puzzles require you to rotate or examine an object from your inventory or interact with a specific environmental object.

Analyzer puzzles use Grace’s Blood Analysis Machine, where the correct nodes have to be selected in sequence.

The R.P.D. section adds a couple of optional clue chains, while The Final Puzzle is in a completely different category: it spans two playthroughs and was solved through a combination of in-game clues, community research, and datamining.

1. Chairman’s Office Puzzle Box — Moon Quartz

Location: Care Center, West Wing, 2F, Chairman’s Office
Character: Grace

The first Quartz puzzle box is found inside the Chairman’s Office.

To solve it naturally, pick up the Pencil from the back room and use it on the notebook in the office. Shading the page reveals the correct celestial sequence.

Solution

Moon → Sun → Star → Moon

Enter the four symbols in that order.

Reward

Moon Quartz

This is the first of the three Quartz pieces needed for the Care Center progression.

Quick answer

Moon → Sun → Star → Moon

2. Lead Researcher’s Office Puzzle Box — Sun Quartz

Location: Care Center, East Wing, 2F, Lead Researcher’s Office
Character: Grace

The second Quartz box is locked with a padlock.

First, collect the Corrosive from the Conference Room at the end of the nearby hallway. Use it on the padlock, then inspect the photographs around the office. The symbols hidden in the backgrounds provide the combination.

Solution

Star → Sun → Moon → Sun

Reward

Sun Quartz

Quick answer

Star → Sun → Moon → Sun

This is also the puzzle connected to the later Final Puzzle, but that secret sequence is handled separately below.

3. Organ Transport Box — Artificial Lungs

Location: Care Center, West Wing, 1F, Garage
Character: Grace

After obtaining the Level 1 ID Wristband, you can access the Garage and find the Organ Transport Box.

You need to inspect the box from your inventory, then rotate it to expose the control panel on the back.

Solution

Set the lower-right switch to HAND.
Move the right-hand slider to the middle position.
Press Button 5.
Press Button 2.
Return the lower-right switch to AUTO.

Quick answer

HAND → Middle → 5 → 2 → AUTO

Reward

Artificial Lungs

You need the Artificial Lungs for the next major puzzle in the Examination Room.

4. Organless Corpse — Artificial Heart

Location: Care Center, Examination Room
Character: Grace

Once you have the Artificial Lungs, return to the corpse in the Examination Room.

This isn’t a conventional code puzzle. The solution is simply to install the artificial organs in the correct order.

Solution

Insert the Artificial Lungs, then the Artificial Heart.

The corpse wakes up after the second organ is installed.

Reward

Defeating the resulting enemy encounter gives you the Level 2 ID Wristband, allowing you to progress deeper into the Care Center. Current puzzle references identify this as a progression puzzle rather than an optional encounter.

5. Blood Analyzer Puzzles

Location: Care Center Blood Lab and related rooms
Character: Grace

The Blood Analyzer is home to several optional puzzles that unlock crafting recipes.

There are three specimens on Casual/Standard, while Insanity introduces a fourth Polymerized specimen in place of the Converged sample at the corresponding location.

The analyzer puzzles are worth doing if you’re building Grace’s crafting options, but they’re not all required to finish the story.

5.1 Denatured Blood Specimen

Location: Blood Lab

Solution

Select the left-middle node.

That’s the only input needed for the Denatured sample.

Reward

The analysis unlocks additional crafting options, including Handgun Ammo and the Hemolytic Injector.

5.2 Converged Blood Specimen

Location: East Wing Closet
Difficulty: Casual/Standard

You’ll reach this sample through the Level 1 door near the Waiting Room.

Solution

Top-middle → second node from the bottom

The sequence is only two selections.

Reward

The analysis unlocks recipes for the Med Injector and 12.7x55mm Ammo.

That ammunition is used by the Requiem revolver, so this is one of the more useful optional analyses if you plan to rely on the weapon.

5.3 Reversible Blood Specimen

Location: Blood Lab side room
Difficulty: All

The Reversible specimen is behind a locked door requiring the appropriate ID Wristband.

Solution

Enter:

Bottom-left → Center → Top-right → Second from top

This is the longest of the standard Blood Analyzer sequences.

Reward

The analysis unlocks the Steroids and Stabilizer recipes.

5.4 Polymerized Blood Specimen — Insanity

Location: East Wing Closet
Difficulty: Insanity only

On Insanity, the usual Converged specimen is replaced with the Polymerized sample.

Solution

Middle-left → Middle-right → Middle-bottom

Three selections solve it.

Reward

The Polymerized analysis unlocks the R.I.P. Knife and additional ammunition-related rewards on Insanity.

6. Security Manager’s Office Puzzle Box

Location: Isolation Ward / Security Manager’s Office
Character: Grace

This one looks like another symbol puzzle, but there isn’t a combination to decode.

Interact with the notebook on the table, then examine the puzzle box. You’ll obtain the Level 3 ID Wristband.

Use it to reach Emily’s cell.

Solution

Bring Emily to the Puzzle Box.

Emily opens it automatically.

That’s the entire puzzle. You do not need to decode the Braille yourself.

Useful tip

You can leave Emily on the couch in the nearby safe room while you clear the surrounding enemies, then bring her to the box once the area is safer. PowerPyx specifically recommends this approach.

7. VIP Suite Double Helix Puzzle

Location: Care Center Courtyard, VIP Suite
Character: Grace

The VIP Suite contains a lectern with two helixes already in place. You need to find the third.

The missing piece is hidden inside a wine bottle near the entrance.

Solution

Pick up the wine bottle.
Inspect it from your inventory.
Rotate it until the hidden Double Helix Model is revealed.
Take the Helix.
Insert it into the lectern.

The mechanism then opens the route required for story progression.

Important: the Hourglass is a separate puzzle

The hourglass isn’t needed for the Double Helix solution.

However, it is not simply a useless distraction. The hourglass becomes an important clue in the Final Puzzle chain because rotating it reveals the hidden message “U = 380,000.”

That distinction matters: ignore it for the VIP Suite door, but don’t ignore it if you’re solving the Final Puzzle.

8. Hourglass Puzzle

Location: VIP Suite
Character: Grace
Purpose: Final Puzzle clue

Inspect the hourglass and rotate it.

As the sand moves, a hidden inscription appears:

U = 380,000

That number is part of the celestial-distance clue chain used to decode The Final Puzzle.

This isn’t a standalone progression puzzle, so you can leave it alone during a normal run.

9. R.P.D. S.T.A.R.S. Briefcase

Location: R.P.D., S.T.A.R.S. Office
Character: Leon

The R.P.D. contains an optional briefcase puzzle whose solution is:

RRR

The clues begin with Barry’s To-Do List.

Follow the chain through the Captain’s Office and Library until you inspect the relevant photograph inside the Medicinal Benefits of Herbs book. The clue points to Rebecca, the “rising rookie,” giving you RRR as the combination.

Solution

R → R → R

Reward

Power Shades Charm

This is one of the game’s better optional R.P.D. rewards, so it’s worth solving if you’re already exploring the station.

10. Barry’s Scavenger Hunt

Location: R.P.D.
Character: Leon

The scavenger-hunt puzzle is separate from the S.T.A.R.S. briefcase, even though both are connected to Barry’s clues.

Follow the messages and inspect the TV in the Operations Room.

You’ll eventually obtain JoJo’s Locker Key.

Take the key to JoJo’s Locker in the West Office.

Reward

S.T.A.R.S. Emblem Charm

The important thing here is simply not to confuse this with the RRR briefcase. They’re two different optional puzzle chains.

11. Roulette Wheel Puzzle

Location: Care Center, Parlor
Character: Grace

The Parlor contains a roulette table with a small optional challenge.

Solution

Shoot one of these numbers:

29, 15, or 7

Then interact with the wheel and spin it until it lands on the number you shot.

Reward

1 Antique Coin

The reward is only granted once.

A manual save beforehand is useful if you’re short on ammunition and don’t want to spend rounds repeatedly experimenting with the wheel.

12. The Final Puzzle

Location: Lead Researcher’s Office
Character: Grace
Availability: After completing the game once

The Final Puzzle is optional and is not required for the story or a trophy/achievement.

It rewards:

20,000 CP

What makes it unusual is how it was discovered. The game’s clues were pieced together through player investigation and datamining, and the complete procedure was later reproduced without mods on console. VGC describes it as a multi-step challenge involving the Processing Room, the Hourglass, Blood Analysis clues, Marie’s Doll, and the Lead Researcher’s Office puzzle box.

The Final Puzzle code

Once the setup is complete, the final sequence is:

Sun → Sun → Star → Sun → Moon → Star → Sun → Moon → Sun → Moon → Star → Moon

Entering this sequence in the Lead Researcher’s Office puzzle box completes the challenge—provided Emily is with you and Marie’s Doll is in your inventory.

Step 1: Reach the Processing Room

On your first playthrough, progress through the Care Center Basement until you reach the Processing Room.

PowerPyx’s current procedure says to allow 115 bodies to fall into the bloodied water before draining it. VGC’s reproduced procedure instead establishes the trigger by waiting 15 minutes in the Processing Room before draining the water. Both sources agree on the broader requirement: this is a hidden timed/flag-based trigger rather than an ordinary puzzle instruction.

For a practical guide, I’d use the reproducible method:

Enter the Processing Room.
Make a manual save.
Wait approximately 15 minutes before draining the water.
Drain the water.
Proceed through the grinder section.
Do not personally kill the zombies during the grinder sequence.

VGC confirms this procedure can be reproduced on console without mods.

Step 2: Complete the grinder section correctly

After draining the water, continue through the grinder section.

The important condition is that the zombies must be killed by the grinder, not by Grace.

If you accidentally kill one yourself, reload your earlier Processing Room save and repeat the sequence.

PowerPyx also documents a later blood-pool confirmation message indicating the trigger worked correctly.

Step 3: Flush the toilet eight times

Continue through the Care Center until you’re back in Central Hall with Emily.

Take Emily to the Restroom in the West Wing, accessed from the corridor between the Kitchen and Dining Room.

Flush the same toilet eight times.

There is no obvious confirmation message, so count carefully. VGC and PowerPyx both document the eight-flush requirement.

Step 4: Find Marie’s Doll

Continue through the Courtyard Lab section.

During the escape sequence, look for Marie’s Doll on the stairs shortly before Grace’s panic-run sequence.

Collect the doll and finish the game.

This is important because the doll carries over to your next run.

Step 5: Start a new playthrough

Begin another run.

When you reach the Care Center as Grace, Marie’s Doll will be available in her Item Box if you’ve completed the setup correctly.

Continue until you have access to Emily again.

Step 6: Return to the Lead Researcher’s Office

During the second run:

Progress through the Care Center.
Obtain the Level 3 ID Wristband.
Free Emily.
Make sure Marie’s Doll is in your inventory.
Carry Emily to the Lead Researcher’s Office.
Interact with the Quartz Puzzle Box.

The Severed Hand is not required in your inventory for this final interaction, although its Blood Analyzer message is part of the clue chain that helped the community decode the celestial sequence. VGC explicitly notes that the hand is not required for the final step.

Step 7: Enter the Final Puzzle sequence

Input:

Sun → Sun → Star → Sun → Moon → Star → Sun → Moon → Sun → Moon → Star → Moon

If you’ve completed the hidden setup correctly, a laugh will play and the Final Puzzle challenge will be completed.

Where did the 12-symbol sequence come from?

The community discovered that the Blood Analyzer’s Severed Hand sequence:

GGC AAG AUA ACG UGU CAU

can be translated through the protein sequence into GLITCH.

Additional clues hidden in the game’s files and objects connect:

G = 150,000,000
U = 380,000
C = 4.2 ly

Those values point toward celestial distances, which form the basis of the Sun/Moon/Star substitution. The resulting sequence is the 12-symbol input shown above.

This is worth including because it explains why the Final Puzzle has that strange solution instead of simply dumping the code on the reader.

Do Puzzle Solutions Change on Insanity?

For the standard story puzzles, no.

The Chairman’s Office, Lead Researcher’s Office, Organ Transport Box, Security Manager’s Office, and VIP Suite puzzles use the same solutions.

The major puzzle-related Insanity difference is the Blood Analyzer, where the Polymerized specimen appears in place of the standard Converged setup.

Safe combinations are also different on Insanity, but those are covered separately in our Resident Evil Requiem Safe Codes & Combinations guide.

Which Puzzles Are Required?

For the main story, the puzzles you need to solve are:

Chairman’s Office Puzzle Box
Lead Researcher’s Office Puzzle Box
Organ Transport Box
Organless Corpse
Security Manager’s Office interaction
VIP Suite Double Helix

The following are optional:

Blood Analyzer specimens
Hourglass clue
R.P.D. S.T.A.R.S. Briefcase
Barry’s Scavenger Hunt
Roulette Wheel
The Final Puzzle

That distinction is useful if you’re simply trying to finish the game without spending time on optional rewards.

Quick Puzzle Cheat Sheet

Main Story

Chairman’s Office:
Moon → Sun → Star → Moon

Lead Researcher’s Office:
Star → Sun → Moon → Sun

Organ Transport Box:
HAND → Middle → 5 → 2 → AUTO

Organless Corpse:
Artificial Lungs → Artificial Heart

Security Manager’s Office:
Bring Emily to the box

VIP Suite:
Open wine bottle → collect Double Helix → insert into lectern

Blood Analyzer

Denatured:
Left-middle

Converged:
Top-middle → second from bottom

Reversible:
Bottom-left → center → top-right → second from top

Polymerized:
Middle-left → middle-right → middle-bottom

R.P.D. / Optional

S.T.A.R.S. Briefcase:
RRR

Barry’s Scavenger Hunt:
Operations Room TV → JoJo’s Locker Key → West Office locker

Roulette:
Shoot 29, 15, or 7 → spin to that number

Final Puzzle

Sun → Sun → Star → Sun → Moon → Star → Sun → Moon → Sun → Moon → Star → Moon

Resident Evil Requiem Puzzle Tips

The safest way to handle Requiem’s puzzles is to read the room before assuming everything is a combination.

The first two Quartz boxes genuinely require symbol solutions. The Security Manager’s Office box does not. The Organ Transport Box is solved through inventory inspection. The Blood Analyzer is based on selecting nodes in sequence. The R.P.D. adds clue chains rather than conventional lock puzzles.

And then there’s the Final Puzzle, which is deliberately obscure and spans multiple runs.

If you are following a first playthrough, don’t worry about solving every optional puzzle immediately. The Blood Analyzer rewards are useful, but you can finish the story without completing every specimen. Likewise, the R.P.D. puzzles and Roulette Wheel can wait if you are more interested in progression.

For completionists, however, I’d save the Final Puzzle for a dedicated run. Its hidden setup is too specific to casually stumble through, and having the procedure written down makes the two-playthrough requirement much less frustrating.

Related Resident Evil Requiem Guides

Resident Evil Requiem: All Safe Codes & Combinations
For every safe location, Standard/Casual combination, Insanity combination, and reward.

Resident Evil Requiem: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them
For story weapons, hidden pickups, Supply Box firearms, and Special Content unlocks.

Resident Evil Requiem: All Mr. Raccoon Locations
For the full 25-Raccoon checklist and the Advanced Tuning reward.

Resident Evil Requiem: Puzzles, Safe Codes & Weapons Guide
Our broader Requiem hub covering the game’s main puzzle, weapon, and safe-code topics.

Sources & Updates

Last reviewed: September 2026

Puzzle solutions and progression details were cross-checked against current Resident Evil Requiem references, including PowerPyx, VGC, Game8, and current community documentation. The main story puzzles were compared across multiple current references, while the Final Puzzle was checked against both PowerPyx and VGC’s reproduced procedures.

How we verify: Straightforward story puzzles are presented where current references agree. When a puzzle has an unusual or disputed interpretation, the guide explains the actual player action instead of forcing a potentially misleading classification. The Final Puzzle is explicitly identified as a community-discovered, datamining-assisted solution, rather than presenting that sequence as an obvious in-game clue.

Resident Evil Requiem: All Mr. Raccoon Locations

Resident Evil Requiem has 25 Mr. Raccoon Memoriams hidden across the Care Center, East Raccoon City, Raccoon City Center, the R.P.D., and the ARK. Destroying all 25 completes the You Little Rascal! challenge and unlocks a trophy/achievement, along with 2,000 Challenge Points and Advanced Tuning for Leon’s weapons.

The statues are small, and a few are tucked into places you would have little reason to check during a normal playthrough. Some are also tied to a specific character or a particular story sequence, so following them in story order is the safest way to clear the collection.

This guide covers all 25 Mr. Raccoon locations, including the character you need, how to reach each statue, and the collectibles that are easiest to miss.

Spoiler warning: The locations below reveal several story areas and progression details. They’re arranged in roughly the order you’ll encounter them during the campaign.

Resident Evil Requiem Mr. Raccoon Locations: Quick Reference

#	Area	Character	Location
1	Care Center	Leon	Rehabilitation Ward
2	Care Center	Grace	East Wing Lobby
3	Care Center	Grace	Corridor east of Waiting Room
4	Care Center	Grace	Kitchenette
5	Care Center	Grace	Medication Room
6	Care Center	Leon	Records Room
7	Care Center Basement	Grace	Workshop
8	Care Center Basement	Grace	Bunkroom
9	Care Center Courtyard	Grace	Private Lab
10	Care Center Courtyard	Leon	Overwatch/sniper section
11	East Raccoon City	Leon	Café Oasis
12	East Raccoon City	Leon	Logistics Warehouse Roof
13	East Raccoon City	Leon	Underground Parking Garage
14	East Raccoon City	Leon	Bus near Cedarbrook Apartments
15	East Raccoon City	Leon	Cedarbrook Apartments
16	East Raccoon City	Leon	Gas Station
17	East Raccoon City	Leon	Open sewage pipe
18	East Raccoon City	Leon	Ridgewood Station
19	East Raccoon City	Leon	Willis Tower
20	Raccoon City Center	Leon	Destroyed tanker
21	R.P.D.	Leon	Operations Room
22	R.P.D.	Leon	Library
23	Raccoon City Center	Leon	Gun Shop Kendo alley
24	ARK	Leon	Corridor near Staff Room
25	ARK	Grace	Operations Room

There are 25 total Mr. Raccoon Memoriams, and this ordering follows the game’s progression rather than an arbitrary map order.

How Mr. Raccoon Memoriams Work

Mr. Raccoon Memoriams are small collectible figures that can be destroyed by shooting them or hitting them with a melee weapon. They also produce a distinctive sound when you’re close, which is one of the best clues when a statue is hidden behind scenery or inside an object.

You can check your overall total under Challenges → You Little Rascal!. The game does not provide a detailed area-by-area tracker, so keeping your own checklist is useful.

There is also no traditional chapter-select system for returning to every earlier section. Individual statues can therefore be missable during a run, particularly when a story sequence closes off an area. However, the Mr. Raccoons you’ve already destroyed remain counted across saves and later playthroughs.

After your first playthrough, you can also purchase Raccoon maps from the Bonus Menu, which makes cleanup runs considerably easier.

Care Center — Mr. Raccoons #1–10

The first ten Mr. Raccoons are concentrated around the Rhodes Hill Care Center, its basement, courtyard, and the connected overwatch section. You’ll need both Leon and Grace to collect all ten.

Mr. Raccoon #1 — Rehabilitation Ward

Character: Leon
Location: Rehabilitation Ward

This is the easiest Mr. Raccoon in the game.

After Leon cuts through the early door with the chainsaw, continue through the next doorway. The statue is sitting on a fireplace directly ahead of you.

Shoot it before heading upstairs.

Mr. Raccoon #2 — East Wing Lobby

Character: Grace
Location: East Wing Lobby

Once Grace uses the East Wing Keycard to enter Central Hall, look toward the reception desk.

The Mr. Raccoon is sitting on the desk in front of you.

Mr. Raccoon #3 — East of the Waiting Room

Character: Grace
Location: Corridor east of the Waiting Room

From the Waiting Room, head east along the corridor before going upstairs toward the Lead Researcher’s Office.

The statue is positioned near the end of the corridor. It isn’t hidden behind a puzzle or locked door, but its placement makes it easy to walk past while following the main route.

Mr. Raccoon #4 — Kitchenette

Character: Grace
Location: Kitchenette near the Office

After obtaining the Level 1 Wristband, use it to open the door south of the Kitchen and go upstairs.

In the Kitchenette, look beside the sink for the Mr. Raccoon.

Mr. Raccoon #5 — Medication Room

Character: Grace
Location: Medication Room

This one requires the Level 3 Wristband.

Go through the Guard Office toward the area where the girl is held in a cell. Use the wristband on the empty room on the left, not the girl’s cell.

The Mr. Raccoon is behind the bed.

This is one of the easier Care Center statues to miss because the correct room isn’t the obvious choice.

Mr. Raccoon #6 — Records Room

Character: Leon
Location: Records Room

When Leon returns to the Care Center, head to the Records Room and listen for the familiar rattling sound.

The statue is inside a closet that Leon can break open with his Hatchet. Grace cannot access it in the same way.

Mr. Raccoon #7 — Workshop

Character: Grace
Location: Care Center Basement, Workshop

During Grace’s basement section, reach the Holding Cells corridor and use the Joint Plug to open the Workshop.

The Mr. Raccoon is sitting on the workbench just inside.

Mr. Raccoon #8 — Bunkroom

Character: Grace
Location: Care Center Basement, Bunkroom

Use a Joint Plug at the Boiler Room power distributor to open the connected rooms.

Enter the Bunkroom and look at the television.

The Mr. Raccoon is sitting on top of it.

Mr. Raccoon #9 — Private Lab

Character: Grace
Location: Care Center Courtyard, Private Lab

After solving the puzzle in the VIP Room, take the elevator down into the underground section.

Continue through the area until you reach the Private Lab, where you interact with a computer as part of the story.

The statue is on the desk to the right of the computer.

Mr. Raccoon #10 — Courtyard Overwatch

Character: Leon
Location: Care Center Courtyard, sniper/overwatch section

This is one of the most easily missed Mr. Raccoons in the game.

When Leon regains control, climb through the window and cross the rooftop until you reach the staircase. Do not go through the wooden door at the top.

Instead, turn left and use the sniper rifle to look down into the garden.

The statue is sitting on the base of one of the lit garden lamps. You need to shoot it from your elevated position.

Important: once you leave this position, you cannot simply return to it later in the story. This is one of the statues I’d make sure to collect immediately.

East Raccoon City — Mr. Raccoons #11–19

The next nine Mr. Raccoons are spread around East Raccoon City. This section is where following the correct order saves the most backtracking.

Mr. Raccoon #11 — Café Oasis

Character: Leon
Location: Café Oasis

When Leon regains control in East Raccoon City, follow the road until the first major intersection.

Turn right and enter the first open building on the left: Café Oasis.

The statue is behind the counter.

Mr. Raccoon #12 — Logistics Warehouse Roof

Character: Leon
Location: Logistics Warehouse rooftop

After collecting the Distributor on the rooftop, Leon automatically uses the binoculars to survey the surrounding area.

Before moving on, turn around and face the highway.

Look toward the vehicle wreck on the highway and use the sniper rifle to take out the Mr. Raccoon sitting on top of the van.

This is another collectible where a scoped weapon makes the job much easier.

Mr. Raccoon #13 — Underground Parking Garage

Character: Leon
Location: Underground Parking Garage

After obtaining the Cedarbrook Apartments Key, use it at the Central Camp gate near the elevator.

Go downstairs and enter the door on the right.

When you reach the first enemy where the stealth-kill tutorial appears, enter the room on the left. The Mr. Raccoon is sitting on a box inside.

Mr. Raccoon #14 — Bus Near Cedarbrook Apartments

Character: Leon
Location: Bus on the street outside Cedarbrook Apartments

Continue through the East Raccoon City story until you trigger the cutscene that gives Leon the BSAA Container Keys.

After the scene, you’ll be on the street outside Cedarbrook Apartments.

Walk farther west along the road and check the bus.

The Mr. Raccoon is sitting in the driver’s seat.

Mr. Raccoon #15 — Cedarbrook Apartments

Character: Leon
Location: Cedarbrook Apartments, upper floor

Enter Cedarbrook Apartments and progress until you obtain the Crank.

Return upstairs and use the Crank to open the balcony gate.

Climb the next ladder and turn right onto the upper apartment floor. Continue to the back of the floor and check the open refrigerator.

The Mr. Raccoon is inside.

Do not go downstairs after reaching this upper floor. The refrigerator is near the end of the route toward the rooftop.

Mr. Raccoon #16 — Gas Station

Character: Leon
Location: Gas Station

Return to the road outside Cedarbrook Apartments.

Shoot down the ladder on the opposite side of the street, climb up, and drop into the Gas Station area.

Inside the Gas Station, look for the statue on a metal shelf.

Mr. Raccoon #17 — Open Sewage Pipe

Character: Leon
Location: Western end of the main road

Head toward the western end of the main road, where you’ll find a large crane.

Activate the crane to create a shortcut toward Central Camp.

As you cross the new route, look down and to the left.

The Mr. Raccoon is sitting inside an open sewage pipe.

This is a good example of why it’s worth checking the environment during traversal instead of sprinting directly to the next objective.

Mr. Raccoon #18 — Ridgewood Station

Character: Leon
Location: Underground train section

Use the Fuel Can on the generator near the large crane.

Once the gate opens, continue through the underground route until you automatically reach a train compartment.

The Mr. Raccoon is sitting on a passenger seat inside the train car.

Mr. Raccoon #19 — Willis Tower

Character: Leon
Location: Willis Tower

After obtaining the Fuel Can, return to Central Camp.

Use the elevator to reach the roof and follow the route to the generator. Fill it with fuel and activate it, then use the zipline to reach Willis Tower.

Once inside, head upstairs and follow the seating area into the adjacent room.

The Mr. Raccoon is sitting on a shelf.

Raccoon City Center & R.P.D. — Mr. Raccoons #20–23

Four more Mr. Raccoons remain before the final two in the ARK.

Mr. Raccoon #20 — Destroyed Tanker

Character: Leon
Location: Raccoon City Center

After the motorcycle sequence, when Leon is back on foot, turn slightly left.

The Mr. Raccoon is sitting in the rubble in front of the destroyed tanker.

Mr. Raccoon #21 — R.P.D. Operations Room

Character: Leon
Location: Operations Room

Inside the R.P.D., enter the Operations Room.

Check the left side of the room, where rubble and a wooden barricade conceal the statue.

Mr. Raccoon #22 — R.P.D. Library

Character: Leon
Location: Library

From the Operations Room, follow the route toward the Library and climb up to the second floor.

The Mr. Raccoon is hidden inside the large central bookshelf.

Look at the north-facing side and check the lower shelves. The statue is tucked behind a pile of books.

This is one of the hardest statues to spot without knowing exactly where to aim.

Mr. Raccoon #23 — Gun Shop Kendo Alley

Character: Leon
Location: Alley beside Gun Shop Kendo

After the Gun Shop Kendo cutscene, turn around before continuing.

Enter the open alley and look toward the far end.

The Mr. Raccoon is sitting in an open window, just to the left of the large Umbrella billboard.

Don’t confuse this location with the W870 Police shotgun, which is inside Gun Shop Kendo itself.

ARK — Mr. Raccoons #24–25

The final two Mr. Raccoons are found in the ARK.

Mr. Raccoon #24 — ARK Entrance Corridor

Character: Leon
Location: Corridor near the Staff Room

After entering the ARK and passing through the decontamination tunnel, head right.

Check the corridor near the Staff Room.

The Mr. Raccoon is behind a box.

This is the penultimate statue.

Mr. Raccoon #25 — ARK Operations Room

Character: Grace
Location: Operations Room

The final Mr. Raccoon is collected during Grace’s ARK section.

After passing through the area containing the Lickers and locked containers, you’ll eventually reach the Operations Room as part of the route toward the Noblesse Orb.

The Mr. Raccoon is in the same room, in front of the large monitor on the left side.

Destroying this statue brings your total to 25/25.

All 25 Mr. Raccoons: Quick Checklist

Use this list while playing:

1 — Rehabilitation Ward
2 — East Wing Lobby
3 — Corridor east of Waiting Room
4 — Kitchenette
5 — Medication Room
6 — Records Room
7 — Basement Workshop
8 — Basement Bunkroom
9 — Private Lab
10 — Care Center Overwatch
11 — Café Oasis
12 — Logistics Warehouse Roof
13 — Underground Parking Garage
14 — Cedarbrook bus
15 — Cedarbrook Apartments
16 — Gas Station
17 — Open sewage pipe
18 — Ridgewood Station
19 — Willis Tower
20 — Destroyed tanker
21 — R.P.D. Operations Room
22 — R.P.D. Library
23 — Gun Shop Kendo alley
24 — ARK corridor
25 — ARK Operations Room

What Happens When You Find All 25 Mr. Raccoons?

Destroying all 25 completes the You Little Rascal! challenge and unlocks its trophy/achievement. The challenge also awards 2,000 CP.

The more useful gameplay reward is Advanced Tuning for Leon’s weapons.

Advanced Tuning allows Leon to push compatible weapons beyond their standard upgrade level, making the Mr. Raccoon hunt worthwhile even if you aren’t interested in trophy completion.

Are Mr. Raccoons Missable?

Yes, during a particular playthrough.

Resident Evil Requiem does not offer a conventional chapter-select system, so leaving an area can prevent you from returning to a statue later in that run. PowerPyx specifically recommends keeping manual saves around area transitions if you’re collecting everything during your first playthrough.

The good news is that your completed Mr. Raccoons remain counted across saves and subsequent playthroughs.

That means you don’t need a perfect 25/25 run. If you miss one, you can return through an appropriate save or pick it up during a later playthrough without resetting the ones you’ve already destroyed.

Do Mr. Raccoons Carry Over Between Playthroughs?

Yes.

Mr. Raccoon progress is persistent, so previously destroyed statues remain counted when you start another run.

This is especially useful if you miss one of the statues tied to a temporary story section. Rather than restarting the entire collection, you can simply target the missing statue during a later run.

How to Find Mr. Raccoons More Easily

The game gives you a couple of useful clues even though it doesn’t mark every statue automatically.

Listen for the sound

Mr. Raccoons make a distinctive noise when you’re close. If you hear it but can’t see anything, stop following the objective and check nearby shelves, containers, pipes, furniture, and elevated surfaces.

Check optional rooms

A number of statues are located in places that are not required for story progression, including the Café Oasis, Workshop, Bunkroom, and Library.

Look above and below eye level

Several of the harder collectibles aren’t sitting directly in your path. The most notable examples are the Courtyard overwatch statue, highway vehicle, sewage pipe, and Kendo alley window.

Bring a scoped weapon when possible

Long-range statues such as the Logistics Warehouse rooftop and Care Center overwatch are much easier to hit with Leon’s scoped rifle.

The Mr. Raccoons Most Likely to Be Missed

If you’re not following a checklist, pay special attention to these:

#5 — Medication Room: You need the empty cell rather than the occupied one.

#6 — Records Room: The closet requires Leon’s Hatchet.

#10 — Care Center Overwatch: Shoot the statue before leaving the sniper position.

#12 — Logistics Warehouse: Look out toward the highway and use the sniper rifle.

#17 — Sewage Pipe: Look down from the crane shortcut.

#22 — Library: The statue is behind books inside the central bookshelf.

#23 — Kendo Alley: Look up toward the open window.

These aren’t necessarily the only easy-to-miss statues, but they’re the locations where a player following the main objective is most likely to walk straight past the collectible.

Resident Evil Requiem Mr. Raccoon Tips for a 100% Run

The easiest way to handle the collection is to treat the statues as part of your normal route, not as a separate cleanup job.

For the Care Center, check every optional room as soon as you have the required wristband or Joint Plug. During East Raccoon City, pause at each major landmark instead of assuming the collectible is somewhere near the next objective.

Most importantly, keep an eye on the character listed in the guide. Several of the Care Center statues are split between Grace and Leon, and the game doesn’t let you freely switch between them.

For a first completion run, I’d also keep a manual save before major story transitions. There is no reason to make a 20-hour collectible hunt harder than it needs to be.

Final Thoughts

The Mr. Raccoon hunt is worth doing even if you’re not normally a collectible hunter.

You get the You Little Rascal! trophy/achievement and 2,000 CP, but the more practical payoff is Advanced Tuning for Leon’s weapons.

The important thing is to remember the handful of statues that can disappear as the story progresses. Grab those when you reach them, keep your saves around major transitions, and use the checklist above rather than relying on memory.

For the rest of the Requiem completion checklist, see our Resident Evil Requiem Safe Codes & Combinations guide and Resident Evil Requiem: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them guide.

Sources & Updates

Last reviewed: September 2026

The 25 Mr. Raccoon Memoriam locations, character requirements, progression details, persistence between playthroughs, and completion rewards were cross-checked against current Resident Evil Requiem references, including PowerPyx, VGC, PC Gamer, Vandal, and GameSpot.

How we verify: The guide follows the game’s progression order rather than relying on a single map-numbering system. Where different guides describe the same area using different landmark names, the location is described using the most recognizable in-game landmark or route.

Guide note: Mr. Raccoon numbering in this article is the numbering used by Loot Strategist for this guide and should not be treated as an official in-game numbering system.

Resident Evil Requiem: All Weapons & How to Unlock Them

Resident Evil Requiem splits its arsenal between Grace Ashcroft’s survival-focused inventory and Leon S. Kennedy’s larger, upgradeable arsenal. Some weapons are automatic story pickups, others are hidden in optional areas, and several powerful firearms can only be unlocked through the game’s Special Content system.

This guide covers the weapons you can obtain during the campaign, Leon’s Supply Box firearms, the post-game bonus weapons, and Grace’s Insanity-exclusive R.I.P. Knife. It also points out the weapons that are easiest to miss and explains which upgrades are actually worth prioritizing.

Spoilers ahead: Weapon locations include later-game areas, boss rewards, and post-game unlocks.

Resident Evil Requiem Weapons: Quick Reference

Weapon	Character	How to Unlock
S&S M232	Grace	Care Center, Bar & Lounge
B934	Grace	Care Center, Dining Room
Requiem	Grace / Leon	Story progression
Makeshift Knife	Grace	Care Center Filing Room; additional copies can be found/crafted
Hunting Knife	Grace	Dropped by an enemy near the Dining Room/Filing Room
Hatchet	Leon	Starting weapon
Alligator Snapper	Leon	Starting weapon
MSBG 500	Leon	Care Center Attic
Classic 70	Leon	Story progression
Silencer 9	Leon	Buy from Supply Box
990-TAC	Leon	Buy from Supply Box
Stiri REVO3 A1	Leon	Buy from Supply Box
Gal	Leon	East Raccoon City Underground Parking Garage
Marksman 1A	Leon	BSAA Container 03
W870 Police	Leon	Gun Shop Kendo
Mortal Edge	Leon	Commander boss / Special Content
Freya’s Needle	Grace	Special Content
Kotetsu	Grace	Special Content
Matilda IMP	Leon	Special Content
Ghost Grudge	Leon	Special Content
Redemption	Leon	Special Content
Clatter Carbine	Leon	Special Content
RPG-7	Leon	Special Content
R.I.P. Knife	Grace	Insanity-only Parlor reward

The main weapon references agree on the story weapons, Supply Box firearms, eight Special Content weapons, and the separate Insanity-only R.I.P. Knife.

How the Weapon System Works

Grace and Leon handle weapons differently.

Grace can store weapons in the storage chest found in safe rooms. Her standard weapons do not use Leon’s upgrade system. She instead relies heavily on inventory management, crafting, and resource conservation.

Leon cannot store weapons in the same way. His Supply Boxes let him buy weapons, ammunition, upgrades, and gear. Weapons he no longer wants can be sold and purchased again later, which helps when inventory space becomes a problem.

Leon can normally upgrade compatible weapons through the Supply Box, while Advanced Tuning unlocks a further upgrade level after you destroy all 25 Mr. Raccoon memoriams.

Grace’s Weapons

Grace’s arsenal is smaller, but several of her weapons are easy to overlook during the Care Center sections.

S&S M232

Character: Grace
Type: Handgun
Location: Care Center, West Wing, 2F, Bar & Lounge

The S&S M232 is Grace’s personal handgun. Story events cause her to lose it earlier in the campaign, but you can recover it from the Bar & Lounge, where it sits on the bar counter.

The weapon is beside the Bar & Lounge safe, so this is a good place to handle both objectives during the same visit. For the combination, see our Resident Evil Requiem Safe Codes & Combinations guide.

B934

Character: Grace
Type: Handgun
Location: Care Center, West Wing, 1F, Dining Room

The B934 is found on the floor of the Dining Room after you pass through the Kitchen. It is one of Grace’s early firearms and is worth picking up immediately rather than leaving it behind.

One important difficulty detail: a current GameFAQs reference places the B934 in the East Wing Waiting Room on Insanity, so don’t assume the Standard location carries over unchanged when playing on the highest difficulty.

Requiem

Character: Grace and Leon
Type: Assault revolver
How to unlock: Story progression

Requiem is Leon’s starting high-caliber revolver before he hands it to Grace during the Care Center sequence. Grace later returns it to Leon. The weapon uses 12.7x55mm ammunition and is built around high damage and penetration rather than high capacity.

For Leon, it is also one of the better long-term upgrade candidates because its Supply Box upgrades improve stability, rate of fire, reload speed, and power.

Makeshift Knife

Character: Grace
Type: Melee
Location: Care Center Filing Room

You can find the Makeshift Knife in a locker in the Filing Room, next to the Dining Room. Additional knives can be found elsewhere, and Grace can craft more after obtaining the necessary recipe.

It is mainly a defensive tool. When an enemy grabs Grace, the knife can be used to fight her way free, but its durability is limited.

Hunting Knife

Character: Grace
Type: Melee
Location: Near the Dining Room/Filing Room

The Hunting Knife is carried by an enemy near the Dining Room and Filing Room. Once that enemy is dealt with, you can collect the weapon.

Like the Makeshift Knife, it has limited durability and cannot be sharpened or repaired the way Leon maintains his Hatchet.

Leon’s Story Weapons

Leon gets a considerably larger selection of conventional firearms.

Hatchet

Character: Leon
Type: Melee
How to unlock: Starting weapon

The Hatchet is Leon’s default melee weapon. It can parry certain enemy attacks and can also be used to finish staggered enemies. It loses sharpness with use, but unlike Grace’s knives, Leon can restore it by sharpening the blade.

The Hatchet can also receive Supply Box upgrades for power and durability, making it worth maintaining throughout the campaign.

Alligator Snapper

Character: Leon
Type: Handgun
How to unlock: Starting weapon

The Alligator Snapper is Leon’s standard semi-automatic handgun and is available from the beginning. It’s a straightforward sidearm rather than a specialist weapon, so it remains useful while you’re building up credits for the rest of Leon’s arsenal.

MSBG 500

Character: Leon
Type: Shotgun
Location: Care Center Attic

You’ll find the MSBG 500 on the floor in the Attic during Leon’s Care Center section, on the route toward the Chunk encounter.

It’s a compact pump-action shotgun with a five-shell capacity and several available upgrades, including components that increase power, reload speed, or rate of fire.

Classic 70

Character: Leon
Type: Rifle
Location: Victor’s private study / story progression

The Classic 70 is a bolt-action rifle obtained when you regain control of Leon after the Courtyard events. It becomes the key weapon for the long-range sequence where Leon has to protect Grace from a distance.

It comes with a standard scope, while the Silver Finish Scope can later be found in an open container in the Parking Garage behind the R.P.D.

If you enjoy deliberate headshots and conserve rifle ammunition, the Classic 70 is one of Leon’s most satisfying campaign weapons.

Gal

Character: Leon
Type: Submachine gun
Location: East Raccoon City Underground Parking Garage

The Gal is hidden in the northwestern section of the flooded Underground Parking Garage, near the area where you search for the Battery Key. Another current guide describes it as being inside the shed just beyond the partially submerged cars.

It has a large magazine and is designed for sustained automatic fire rather than precision.

Marksman 1A

Character: Leon
Type: Semi-automatic rifle
Location: BSAA Container 03, East Raccoon City

The Marksman 1A is inside BSAA Container 03 at the far end of the main street in East Raccoon City. You’ll need the BSAA Container Key to open it.

It holds 10 rifle rounds normally, with upgrades increasing capacity and rate of fire.

If the rifle doesn’t fit in your inventory when you find it, you don’t necessarily lose access to it permanently; PowerPyx notes that it can still be purchased later from Supply Boxes.

W870 Police

Character: Leon
Type: Shotgun
Location: Gun Shop Kendo, Raccoon City Center

After the Gun Shop Kendo cutscene, turn around. The W870 Police is sitting on a shelf behind the door.

The shotgun starts with five shells and can be upgraded for additional capacity, power, and stability.

For a standard playthrough, this is one of the most useful pickups to keep in Leon’s rotation because it gives you a reliable pump-action option without requiring a Special Content unlock.

Mortal Edge

Character: Leon
Type: Melee
How to unlock: Defeat the Commander in the ARK

Mortal Edge is dropped by the Commander after the ARK boss fight. It has a larger parry window than the standard Hatchet and cannot be upgraded.

After completing the game, Mortal Edge can also be unlocked through Special Content for 3,000 CP and then purchased from Leon’s Supply Box. Current references agree on the 3,500-CP Special Content cost.

Leon’s Supply Box Weapons

Three standard firearms are purchased directly from Supply Boxes.

Weapon	Type	Supply Box Cost
Silencer 9	Handgun	See Supply Box
990-TAC	Shotgun	7,000 Credits
Stiri REVO3 A1	SMG	6,000 Credits

The exact weapon prices are visible at the Supply Box, while the current GameFAQs item guide lists the 990-TAC at 7,000 Credits and Stiri REVO3 A1 at 6,000 Credits.

Silencer 9

The Silencer 9 is Leon’s suppressed handgun. The built-in suppressor reduces the sound of its shots, making it useful when you want a quieter sidearm rather than another high-damage option.

990-TAC

The 990-TAC is a semi-automatic shotgun with a higher capacity than the MSBG 500. It can take a Dot Sight, extended tube, upgraded barrel, and stock.

Stiri REVO3 A1

The Stiri REVO3 A1 is a compact SMG with a 30-round magazine. Its upgrade path can improve precision, power, capacity, and stability.

Special Content Weapons

After building up Challenge Points, you can spend CP in Special Content to unlock several bonus weapons.

Once unlocked, Grace receives her weapons through her item box, while Leon can obtain his through Supply Boxes.

Freya’s Needle

Character: Grace
Cost: 4,000 CP

Freya’s Needle is a lightweight machine pistol that uses handgun ammunition. It prioritizes a high rate of fire over precision, making it a useful aggressive option for repeat runs.

Kotetsu

Character: Grace
Cost: 5,000 CP

Kotetsu is an unbreakable knife.

For Grace, that makes it one of the strongest quality-of-life purchases in Special Content. Standard knives wear down; Kotetsu does not.

Matilda IMP

Character: Leon
Cost: 500 CP

Matilda IMP is a polymer-frame handgun. Its Folding Stock upgrade enables three-round burst fire, turning it into a compact alternative to a conventional handgun.

At 500 CP, it is also one of the cheapest bonus weapons to unlock.

Ghost Grudge

Character: Leon
Cost: 1,000 CP

Ghost Grudge is a large revolver that uses 12.7x55mm ammunition. It cannot receive normal weapon upgrades, although charms can still affect it.

It is a straightforward choice for players who want another heavy-hitting revolver without spending the higher CP required for the game’s other late-game weapons.

Redemption

Character: Leon
Cost: 3,500 CP

Redemption is a break-action, single-shot handgun that uses rifle ammunition. Each shot hits hard, but you need to reload after every round.

Because sources sometimes classify it differently, this guide uses the game’s functional description—single-shot handgun—rather than forcing it into a disputed category.

Clatter Carbine

Character: Leon
Cost: 6,000 CP

The Clatter Carbine is a suppressed assault rifle that holds 40 rounds of machine-gun ammunition. It is available through Special Content after completing the game and cannot receive normal Supply Box weapon upgrades.

For a repeat run, this is one of the most straightforward ways to give Leon sustained automatic fire without relying on a conventional SMG.

RPG-7

Character: Leon
Cost: 15,000 CP

The RPG-7 is the game’s dedicated rocket launcher. It becomes available through Special Content after completing the game for 15,000 CP.

It has no normal weapon upgrades. Infinite ammo is a separate Special Content unlock costing 35,000 CP.

R.I.P. Knife — Insanity Exclusive

Character: Grace
Difficulty: Insanity
Cost: 5 Antique Coins

The R.I.P. Knife is a special Grace weapon tied to Insanity difficulty.

You can obtain it from the Parlor by spending five Antique Coins. PowerPyx also notes that a blood specimen in the 1F Waiting Room Closet can provide the crafting recipe.

Its main advantage is resource generation: it produces more blood than the standard knives, which matters when you’re crafting Grace’s blood-based items.

Because it is difficulty-exclusive, I treat the R.I.P. Knife separately from the main campaign and Special Content weapon lists.

The Weapons Most Worth Hunting Down

Not every weapon in Requiem requires a detour, but a few are easy to miss.

S&S M232

Check the Bar & Lounge on 2F of the West Wing. You’re already close to an important safe, so this is an easy pickup to combine with another objective.

Gal

Don’t leave the East Raccoon City Underground Parking Garage without checking the northwestern section. This is an optional pickup and one of the easiest guns to walk past.

Marksman 1A

The Marksman 1A is locked inside BSAA Container 03. If you are collecting weapons, this is worth the key detour.

W870 Police

The Kendo sequence can distract you from the shotgun sitting directly behind you after the cutscene. Turn around before leaving the shop.

Classic 70 Scope

The rifle itself is story progression, but its Silver Finish Scope is an optional pickup in the Parking Garage behind the R.P.D.

Best Weapons for a First Playthrough

There is no single “best weapon” for every situation, but a few choices stand out.

Role	Best Pick	Why
Grace high-damage firearm	Requiem	High-power 12.7x55mm revolver
Grace melee	Hunting Knife / Makeshift Knife	Use them defensively and conserve durability
Leon general handgun	Alligator Snapper	Reliable starting sidearm
Leon shotgun	W870 Police	Strong pump-action option with useful upgrades
Leon long-range	Classic 70	Strong, precise rifle with useful scope options
Leon automatic weapon	Stiri REVO3 A1 / Gal	High sustained fire
Best bonus knife	Kotetsu	Infinite durability
Best heavy bonus weapon	RPG-7	Maximum burst damage

For Grace, the Requiem is the obvious choice when a fight calls for raw firearm damage. For Leon, the W870 Police is an excellent all-purpose shotgun, while the Classic 70 rewards players who are comfortable taking precise shots rather than burning through ammunition. Those recommendations are based on how the weapons’ documented stats, upgrade paths, and intended roles fit together rather than on a single damage number.

Best Bonus Weapons to Unlock First

You don’t need to buy every Special Content weapon immediately.

For Grace: Kotetsu

At 5,000 CP, Kotetsu removes the durability problem from Grace’s knife. If you frequently rely on defensive knife attacks, that’s a meaningful improvement rather than a novelty unlock.

For Leon: Matilda IMP

At only 500 CP, Matilda IMP is the cheapest bonus firearm and can eventually be configured for three-round bursts. It’s an easy early purchase once you’ve unlocked Special Content.

For Leon: Clatter Carbine

At 6,000 CP, Clatter Carbine is a much larger investment, but it gives Leon suppressed automatic fire in a dedicated assault-rifle package.

For Leon: RPG-7

Save the RPG-7 for when you have plenty of CP. The 15,000 CP unlock cost is significant, and infinite RPG ammo is another 35,000 CP on top of that.

Can Grace Upgrade Her Weapons?

Not in the same way Leon can.

Grace’s normal weapons don’t use Leon’s Supply Box tuning system. Her progression is built around collecting weapons, managing storage space, crafting resources, and using passive upgrades such as charms.

Leon, by contrast, can purchase weapon upgrades through Supply Boxes. After all 25 Mr. Raccoon memoriams are destroyed, Advanced Tuning becomes available and adds another upgrade level.

That difference is worth remembering when deciding whether a gun deserves space in Leon’s inventory. A weapon with several useful upgrade paths can age better than a stronger weapon that has no tuning options.

Do Weapons Carry Over to New Runs?

Several weapons and bonuses become part of the post-game system rather than being permanent story pickups.

Leon can sell weapons to Supply Boxes and buy them back later, while Grace uses her storage chests to manage weapons between sections. Special Content purchases remain available once unlocked and can then be retrieved through the relevant storage system.

This is particularly useful on repeat runs, when the value of bonus weapons like Kotetsu, Matilda IMP, Clatter Carbine, and RPG-7 becomes much clearer.

What About Grenades, Molotovs, and Acid?

These are combat items, but I would not mix them into the main firearm list.

Grace

Molotov Cocktail
Bottle of Acid

Both can be found during the story and can be crafted after Grace obtains the relevant recipes.

Leon

Hand Grenades
Stacked Hand Grenades

Leon can find grenades and craft additional ammunition using the appropriate resources.

Keeping these in a separate section makes the weapon list easier to use without pretending that every throwable is a conventional weapon.

Resident Evil Requiem Weapon Cheat Sheet

For a quick reference during a playthrough:

Weapon	Character	Unlock / Location
S&S M232	Grace	Care Center Bar & Lounge
B934	Grace	Care Center Dining Room
Requiem	Grace / Leon	Story
Makeshift Knife	Grace	Filing Room / crafted
Hunting Knife	Grace	Enemy near Dining Room/Filing Room
Hatchet	Leon	Starting weapon
Alligator Snapper	Leon	Starting weapon
MSBG 500	Leon	Care Center Attic
Classic 70	Leon	Story
Gal	Leon	Underground Parking Garage
Marksman 1A	Leon	BSAA Container 03
W870 Police	Leon	Gun Shop Kendo
Silencer 9	Leon	Supply Box
990-TAC	Leon	Supply Box
Stiri REVO3 A1	Leon	Supply Box
Mortal Edge	Leon	Commander / Special Content
Freya’s Needle	Grace	4,000 CP
Kotetsu	Grace	5,000 CP
Matilda IMP	Leon	500 CP
Ghost Grudge	Leon	1,000 CP
Redemption	Leon	3,500 CP
Clatter Carbine	Leon	6,000 CP
RPG-7	Leon	15,000 CP
R.I.P. Knife	Grace	5 Antique Coins on Insanity

The standard weapon locations and Special Content costs above are supported by current PowerPyx, GameSpot, Game8, and GameFAQs references.

Final Tips for Collecting Every Weapon

If you’re collecting weapons rather than simply trying to finish the story, keep four places in mind:

Care Center: check the Dining Room, Filing Room, Bar & Lounge, and Attic.

East Raccoon City: check the Underground Parking Garage and BSAA Container 03.

Raccoon City Center: don’t leave Gun Shop Kendo without checking behind the door after the cutscene.

Post-game: check Special Content for the bonus weapons you want, then use the appropriate item or Supply Box to claim them.

And if you are pursuing full completion, remember that Advanced Tuning is tied to destroying all 25 Mr. Raccoon memoriams, not to simply acquiring a certain number of weapons.

Sources & Updates

Last reviewed: August 2026

Weapon locations, unlock conditions, Supply Box behavior, and Special Content costs were cross-checked against current Resident Evil Requiem references from PowerPyx, GameSpot, Game8, and GameFAQs. Where source terminology differs—for example, how some databases classify Redemption—the guide uses the least ambiguous description rather than presenting a disputed label as fact.

How we verify: We prioritize details that are independently consistent across current references, and we flag or avoid hard claims when reputable sources disagree. This is particularly important for bonus-content terminology and weapon categorization.

What Is Apex Legends?

Start With Unranked and Practice Modes

Spend a Little Time in the Firing Range

Try Bot Royale

Pick a Legend You Can Understand

Bangalore

Lifeline

Wraith

Survive the Drop First

Loot Quickly, Then Move

Choose Weapons by Role

Assault Rifles

SMGs

Shotguns

Snipers and Long-Range Weapons

Learn Ammo Management

Understand Shields, Health, and EVO

Movement Matters, but Don’t Chase Fancy Tricks

Sprint

Slide

Holster When It Helps

Use Cover

Positioning Wins Fights Before the Shooting Starts

Don’t Fight in the Open

Stay Close to Your Squad

Learn the Ping System

Know When to Fight

Beware the Third Party

Use Grenades With a Purpose

Watch the Ring

Don’t Throw Yourself Into a Revive

What to Do After You Get Knocked

Don’t Rush Into Ranked

The Biggest Apex Legends Beginner Mistakes

Landing Too Far From Your Squad

Looting for Too Long

Carrying the Wrong Ammo

Ignoring Shields

Fighting Alone

Chasing Every Knock

Ignoring the Ring

Using Abilities Without a Plan

Reviving in the Open

Blaming Teammates for Every Death

A Simple Game Plan for Your First Matches

Early Game

Mid Game

Late Game

How to Improve at Apex Legends Faster

Practice One Skill at a Time

Loot Strategist’s Beginner Rule

Apex Legends Beginner Checklist

Final Thoughts

Related Apex Legends Guides

Sources & Updates

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