RE9 New Game Plus Complete Guide — Carry-Over & Unlocks

The definitive RE9 New Game Plus reference. NG+ unlocks weapons, costumes, hidden areas, and 2 endings you literally cannot get on first playthrough. This guide is the complete carry-over table, exclusive unlock list, difficulty escalation rewards, and optimal multi-playthrough order — built from 100% completion runs on PS5 and Steam (v1.02+DLC).

How NG+ works (the rules)

RE9's NG+ system follows the modern Capcom standard with a few specific quirks:

1. Per-character save: Each character (Grace and Leon) has independent NG+ progress. Beating Grace's campaign unlocks Grace NG+ only. Same for Leon.
2. Difficulty selection on NG+: You can change difficulty going into NG+ (e.g., finish on Standard, start NG+ on Insanity).
3. Item carry-over: Most non-quest items transfer. Quest-critical items (key cards, story items) reset to "missing" — you have to re-acquire them.
4. Map state resets: All puzzle states, locked doors, and area progression reset. You replay the same physical campaign, just with carryover gear.
5. Ending flags persist: Even across difficulty changes, the game remembers which endings you've unlocked. See our endings guide for the full ending unlock matrix.

The system is more generous than RE2 Remake (which limited NG+ carryover) and stricter than RE4 Remake (which allowed cross-character transfer via Bonus Mode).

Full carry-over table — what transfers vs not

Weapons & upgrades carry-over

Every weapon you obtain in your first playthrough carries to NG+ at the upgrade level you ended with. This is the most valuable NG+ feature — you start NG+ with end-game firepower, making lower-difficulty replays trivial and Insanity replays survivable.

Grace's 12 weapons (all carry):

• SG-15 Custom Pistol (starter)
• M37 Pump Shotgun
• Anaconda Magnum
• SMG Vector (Care Center reward)
• EX-3 Rifle (Courtyard reward)
• Hydra Triple-Barrel (ARK Lower Lab)
• Grenade Launcher (ARK only)
• Flamethrower (Sterilization Chamber drop)
• 4 secondary tools (combat knife, taser, flashbang, breach charge)

Leon's 11 weapons (all carry):

• Sig P226R (starter)
• Desert Hawk Magnum
• FN P90 SMG
• Striker Shotgun
• Tactical Crossbow (NEW — Leon exclusive)
• 3 throwables (frag, smoke, EMP)
• Combat knife + tactical baton

Upgrade tier preservation: If you maxed Grace's Anaconda Magnum to Tier 3 Advanced Tuning (requires all 25 Mr. Raccoon Memoriam in playthrough 1), that Tier 3 transfers to NG+. You don't need to re-collect Memoriams for upgrade unlocks.

NG+ exclusive unlocks (weapons, costumes, charms)

These items can only be obtained in NG+ — not your first playthrough:

NG+ exclusive hidden items & areas

These plot-critical items only spawn during NG+ playthroughs and unlock major endings:

1. Chunk's encrypted file (NG+ only)
   Location: Chunk's corpse after defeating him on NG+ Insanity. Required for Grace's Secret Ending. See Chunk origin mystery for what the file contains.
2. Ada Wong's tracker beacon (NG+ Standard+ only, requires Grace True save)
   Location: ARK Facility Server Room (Leon's campaign). Required for Leon's Secret Ending. See Ada Wong reversal arc for full reveal.
3. Sealed Archive Room key (NG+ only)
   Location: Care Center Basement, behind a NG+-only locked door. Unlocks a side room with 3 Files and the "Halverson Family" audio log mentioned in our Chunk lore guide.
4. Lab Technician's Journal (NG+ Hardcore+ only)
   Location: Hidden in ARK Lower Lab vent. Reveals Dr. Pavlin Yordanov's research notes — major lore content tying to RE10 setup.
5. Eveline reference photo (NG+ Insanity only)
   Location: Behind a destructible wall in the Sterilization Chamber. Triggers an additional dialogue option in Grace's True Ending mid-credits scene.

Difficulty escalation rewards (Standard → Insanity)

Insanity-specific note: Several bosses (notably Victor Gideon, The Commander, and Titan Spinner) have additional attack patterns ONLY on Insanity. These aren't just stat bumps — they're mechanically harder fights.

Optimal NG+ farming order for 100%

To unlock all 8 endings + all NG+ cheats + every costume + Platinum trophy with minimum playtime, follow this exact sequence:

1. Playthrough 1 — Grace Casual: Aim to learn the game, not optimize. Collect all 25 Mr. Raccoons (carry over upgrade tiers). Choose "Destroy Sample." (~14 hrs)
2. Playthrough 2 — Leon Casual: Same approach. Choose "Preserve Sample" → Leon True Ending unlocked (because Grace True flag carries). (~13 hrs)
3. Playthrough 3 — Grace NG+ Hardcore: Now you have full gear + ammo. Beat Hardcore to unlock Infinite Magnum + Crafter's Charm. Choose "Preserve Sample" for Grace Bad Ending. (~8 hrs)
4. Playthrough 4 — Leon NG+ Standard: Pick up Ada's beacon in Server Room. Choose "Preserve Sample" → Leon Secret Ending. (~6 hrs)
5. Playthrough 5 — Grace NG+ Insanity: Use carry-over gear + Infinite Magnum. Pick up Chunk's encrypted file. Choose "Destroy Sample" → Grace Secret Ending. After defeat, reload save, replay Chunk without using NG+ carry weapons → Grace Insanity Ending. (~10 hrs)
6. Playthrough 6 — Leon NG+ Insanity: Take a hit during the escape sequence to trigger the container damage flag. Choose "Preserve Sample" → Leon Insanity Ending. Also unlocks Infinite Rocket + Defender's Charm. (~8 hrs)

Total time for 100%: ~59 hours. Combine with our Platinum trophy guide for exact trophy timing within each playthrough.

Common NG+ traps (don't make these mistakes)

1. Don't start NG+ on Insanity if you skipped Hardcore. Insanity assumes you have Infinite Magnum (which only unlocks after Hardcore completion). Going from Standard → Insanity makes Plant 43 nearly impossible.
2. Don't deconstruct old weapons before NG+. Some players sell or scrap weapons before the campaign ends — these don't come back in NG+. Keep everything.
3. Don't skip the Ada beacon if you want Leon Secret. The beacon doesn't respawn — if you miss it on a NG+ Standard/Hardcore run, you need another full NG+ playthrough to try again.
4. Don't pick up Chunk's encrypted file outside Insanity. The file only spawns on NG+ Insanity. Trying on lower difficulties wastes time.
5. Don't use NG+ carry weapons on Grace Insanity Ending attempt. The game tracks whether you used carry-over weapons. Using even one disqualifies you from "The Cycle Continues" trophy.
6. Don't save over your Chunk-R2-ready save. Manual save backup to USB/cloud before Chunk Round 2 lets you re-roll endings without doing another full playthrough.
7. Don't buy new weapons in early NG+. You already have everything carried over. New weapon purchases waste credits that should go to upgrades.

Top 10 NG+ efficiency tips

1. Speedrun route first NG+: Skip optional content; rush main objectives. NG+ scaling means you can finish a Standard run in 6-7 hours.
2. Pre-craft Insanity essentials: 99 Magnum bullets, 30 First Aid Sprays before Chapter 6 in NG+ Insanity.
3. Equip Eye Spy Charm immediately: Carries over from PT1. Auto-revive saves Insanity runs.
4. Save before all boss fights: NG+ autosaves can lock you out of better endings.
5. Use Hardcore as your sweet spot: Unlocks Infinite Magnum without Insanity's brutal scaling.
6. Run Grace and Leon in parallel: Their endings cross-reference. Don't finish all 4 Grace endings before starting Leon.
7. Bookmark puzzle solutions: Even in NG+, puzzle states reset. Knowing solutions in advance saves 30+ min/run.
8. Use Casual for ending-only runs: If you just need to flip a True→Bad ending flag, Casual lets you blitz the final 2 chapters in 90 minutes.
9. Track ending unlocks in a notebook: The in-game ending counter shows 0/8 → 8/8 but doesn't list which ones. Manual tracking prevents repeats.
10. Activate codex auto-pop in settings: NG+ Insanity unlocks codex entries — auto-pop ensures you don't miss Chunk's full origin reveal.

FAQ — NG+ mechanics

Q: Does NG+ from Casual unlock everything NG+ from Insanity does?
A: No. Each difficulty has its own completion rewards. To unlock all NG+ content, you must finish at least one playthrough on each difficulty (Casual → Standard → Hardcore → Insanity).

Q: Can I change difficulty mid-NG+?
A: Yes, but only downward. You can downgrade Insanity → Hardcore mid-run, but going up (Standard → Insanity) isn't allowed mid-playthrough.

Q: Does Grace's ending count carry to Leon's NG+?
A: Only the ending FLAGS carry, not the weapons/items. This is why Leon True Ending requires "Grace True flag = true" in your save.

Q: How do I know which endings I've unlocked?
A: Main menu → Ending Gallery (unlocked after first ending). Shows a 2×4 grid of all 8 endings with greyed-out ones still locked.

Q: Can I get all 8 endings without ever playing Insanity?
A: No. 3 endings require Insanity: Grace Insanity, Grace Secret (requires NG+ Insanity for Chunk file), and Leon Insanity. Other 5 endings are accessible on lower difficulties.

Q: Does the platinum trophy require NG+?
A: Yes — multiple trophies require NG+ exclusively (e.g., "What Was Hidden" for Grace Secret, "Quarantined" for Leon Insanity). NG+ is mandatory for Platinum.

Q: Can NG+ be combined with Infinite Ammo cheats?
A: Yes — Infinite Ammo doesn't disable trophies (unlike some prior RE games). Use it freely on NG+ Insanity for safe trophy hunting.

Q: Are there any "lost forever" items in NG+?
A: One — the Lab Technician's Journal in ARK Lower Lab vent. If you don't pick it up by leaving the Lower Lab area, you can't re-enter to grab it in that run. Always pick it up before the boss fight.

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