What happens when you eliminate The End early in Metal Gear Solid Delta?

One of the most surprising twists in Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater is that you can actually eliminate The End early, long before his iconic sniper duel at Sokrovenno. It’s a clever Easter egg carried over from the original release, and while it completely changes how that part of the story plays out, it also comes with trade-offs you’ll want to think about before pulling the trigger.

Here's more on what happens when you eliminate The End early in Metal Gear Solid Delta.

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What changes if you kill The End early in Metal Gear Solid Delta

The End in Metal Gear Solid Delta (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // KONAMI)

If you manage to take The End out during the short window at Ponizovje Warehouse, his later boss battle never happens. Instead of facing him across the massive jungle, Snake will encounter a squad of about ten Ocelot Unit soldiers. They’re nowhere near as demanding as The End’s marathon sniper fight, but they still require caution since they move in groups.

The downside is that by skipping the fight, you lose access to The End’s Moss Camouflage as well as the 100% Camo Index achievement, which is only unlocked by defeating him non-lethally. The camo is one of the best in the game, making sneaking far easier, so killing him early means missing out on a major reward.

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How to kill The End early in Metal Gear Solid Delta

The trick starts right after defeating The Pain. Once Snake reaches Ponizovje South, you’ll come to a fork. The north path continues the story, but if you take the west path to Ponizovje West, you’ll find a weapons depot. Inside sits the SVD sniper rifle, which is crucial for this Easter egg.

Be careful, though, as guards patrol this area, and if you get spotted, reinforcements will arrive via hovercraft. Grab the SVD, then head back to the docks.

Stealth is key to killing The End if you keep it for the later part (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // KONAMI)

At Ponizovje Warehouse Docks, a cutscene plays, briefly showing The End in his wheelchair. As soon as the cutscene ends, you’ll notice he lingers on the docks before a guard wheels him away. This is your chance.

Using the SVD, you must snipe him during this tiny window. Two headshots will kill him instantly. If you only manage body shots, he’ll take reduced stamina and health into the later boss fight unless you finish him off properly before he’s wheeled out of sight. When he dies, he explodes like the other Cobra Unit members, so be ready to dodge roll to avoid getting hit by flying debris from his wheelchair.

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Achievement and reload trick

Successfully pulling this off unlocks the Early End trophy/achievement, a nod to this secret. If you want to enjoy the Easter egg without losing out on his camo or Mosin Nagant later, simply reload your last save afterward. Doing so resets the game back to normal, with The End still alive.

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Why you might think twice before killing The End early

Eliminating The End early is a fun way to shake up a replay, but it comes with sacrifices. Not only do you miss out on his Moss Camo, but also on the Mosin Nagant, the tranquilizer sniper rifle you can only obtain by stamina-killing him. This weapon is incredibly valuable for non-lethal runs, especially against bosses like The Fury or The Boss herself.

So the choice boils down to this: do you want to skip one of the most legendary boss fights in the series, or keep it for the rewards and the experience?

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What happens if you skip the duel with The End early

If you go through with it, the game simply moves on. When you reach Sokrovenno later, the map is empty of The End, leaving Snake free to move forward without the looming pressure of his sniper scope. The famous ladder sequence follows shortly after, letting you bypass one of the game’s longest encounters entirely.

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That's everything about eliminating The End early in Metal Gear Solid Delta. For more game-related content, make sure to follow Sportskeeda.

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