How to Unlock Insanity Difficulty in Resident Evil Requiem
Author note: Written by the writer, a 23-year Resident Evil series fan based in Seoul, South Korea. This guide is based on 6 full RE9 playthroughs on PS5 and Steam (Casual β Insanity β NG+ Insanity completions). All strategies, timings, and locations have been personally tested on the v1.02 patch. AI tools were used only for grammar review and note organization; no AI-generated content appears in strategy analysis.
PUBLISHED MAY 2026 Β· 10 MIN READ Β· INSANITY UNLOCK + STRATEGY
β SPOILER LEVEL: MEDIUM
Insanity is Resident Evil Requiem's hardest difficulty mode β and it's locked until you complete the game once. This guide explains exactly how to unlock it, what changes on Insanity, and how to clear it efficiently using Infinite Ammo without voiding any trophies.
Casual, Standard (Modern), or Standard (Classic). they all count toward unlocking Insanity. The fastest path is Casual.
// TIME: ~12-15 hours
02
Complete the main story
Beat the final boss (Dr. Victor Gideon) and watch the ending credits roll. You must finish the credits; exiting early will not register the completion.
// REQUIREMENT: Complete to credits end
03
Save when prompted
After credits, the game will prompt you to save your clear data. This save unlocks all post-game content including Insanity mode and the Special Content Store.
// IMPORTANT: Don't skip this save
04
Start a new game from the title screen
Insanity now appears as a difficulty option. Select it and confirm to begin a fresh Insanity playthrough.
// CARRY-OVER: Some weapons and unlocks transfer
π‘ Pro tip: If you only care about unlocking Insanity (not 100% completion), do a Casual speedrun. Skip optional bosses, ignore collectibles, and focus on finishing the main path. Most players can clear Casual in 10-12 hours by ignoring side content.
What changes on Insanity
Insanity is not just "Standard with more damage." It restructures how you approach the game. Major changes:
// COMBAT CHANGES
Enemy damage 3x β most basic zombie attacks deal 50-70% HP damage
Enemy HP scaled up, even standard zombies take 2-3 extra shots
Boss HP scales 2-2.5x; Victor Gideon takes nearly twice as long to kill
Reduced parry windows β about 15% tighter; default Hatchet is barely usable
Boss attack patterns add variants; some bosses (Mr. X, Victor) have new combos
// RESOURCE CHANGES
Healing items rarer. First Aid Spray pickups reduced ~40%
Ammo drops reduced β most enemy drops are halved
Crafting materials scarcer. Scrap and Infected Blood drops less frequent
Save points unchanged; typewriters still in same locations
// CONTENT CHANGES
Safe codes are different β see our Safe Codes guide for the Insanity set
Some optional encounters spawn additional enemies
Insanity-exclusive item placements. a few new pickups in late-game areas
Difficulty comparison chart
// DIFFICULTY STATS COMPARISON
Stat
Casual
Standard
Insanity
Enemy damage
0.5x
1.0x
3.0x
Enemy HP
0.7x
1.0x
1.5-2.0x
Boss HP
0.7x
1.0x
2.0-2.5x
Healing drops
+30%
1.0x
-40%
Ammo drops
+30%
1.0x
-50%
Parry window
+15%
Standard
-15%
Player HP
1.2x
1.0x
1.0x
Save anywhere
β
β
β
Insanity strategy guide
// PRE-RUN PREP
Buy Infinite Ammo unlocks at the Special Content Store before starting Insanity
Have Mortal Edge Hatchet from previous run, carries over via NG+ option
Memorize Insanity safe codes β they're different from Standard
Plan a route; Insanity rewards efficiency, not exploration
// CORE INSANITY RULES
Avoid combat when possible. running past enemies saves resources
Mortal Edge parry β shoot, never melee twice β stamina runs out fast
Save before EVERY boss; multi-attempt fights are normal on Insanity
Conserve Requiem rounds religiously, only use them on bosses
Eye Spy Charm is non-negotiable β kill Chunk early as Grace
β The 3 deadliest moments on Insanity: 1. Mr. X's thrown car. one-shots if armor is broken 2. The Commander's grab attempt; combo can kill in one chain 3. Victor Gideon's purple energy blast β stand in it for half a second = death
Infinite Ammo trick (no trophy void)
Here's the most important thing to know about Insanity:
β‘ Infinite Ammo cheats DO NOT void any trophies. You can complete Insanity with Infinite Requiem and still earn the "Remarkable Agent" Gold trophy and the Platinum. This is confirmed for both PS5 and Steam versions.
// HOW TO UNLOCK INFINITE AMMO
Complete the main story once (any difficulty including Casual)
Earn Challenge Points (CP) from killing enemies, finding collectibles, and completing achievements
Visit the Special Content Store from the main menu
Purchase Infinite Ammo for desired weapons:
Infinite Requiem. ~6,000 CP
Infinite RPG-7. ~8,000 CP
Infinite Clatter Carbine β ~5,000 CP
Equip from inventory at the start of your Insanity run
// RECOMMENDED INSANITY LOADOUT
Primary: Infinite Requiem (one-shots most enemies)
Secondary: Infinite RPG-7 (emergency boss damage)
Melee: Mortal Edge Hatchet (parries)
Charm: Eye Spy Charm (random fatal damage save)
With this loadout, an experienced player can clear Insanity in roughly 3 hours 40 minutes, easily qualifying for the "Speedrunner" trophy as a bonus.
Insanity-related trophies
Remarkable Agent (Gold), Complete the main story on Insanity
Speedrunner (Silver), Complete the main story in under 5 hours (stacks with Insanity run)
Fully Loaded (Silver) β Max upgrade any weapon (Insanity gives more CP)
Common questions
// CAN I SKIP TO INSANITY WITHOUT FINISHING THE STORY?
No. Insanity is locked behind a single completion of the main story. There are no console commands or save edits that can bypass this on console; on PC, modding voids your save data integrity.
// DO I HAVE TO PLAY THROUGH STORY EVENTS AGAIN?
Yes. Insanity is a full new game. Cutscenes can be skipped (button prompt) but the entire main path must be completed.
// IS INSANITY HARDER THAN OTHER RE GAMES?
Roughly comparable to Resident Evil 4 Remake's "Professional" difficulty. Slightly harder than RE Village's "Village of Shadows" due to the parry-focused combat and Victor Gideon's two-phase fight. Use of Infinite Ammo brings it back to manageable.
// WILL DLC ADD A HARDER DIFFICULTY?
Capcom has not announced anything beyond Insanity. Historically, RE titles have added new difficulty modes via free patches (Resident Evil 4 Remake's "Mercenaries Mode" added new challenges). Watch for community news.