Which RE9 Weapons Should I Upgrade First?

Author note: Written by Jachin, 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 → Insanity → NG+ Insanity completions). All strategies, timings, and locations have been personally tested across the v1.02 patch. AI tools were used only for grammar review and note organization; no AI-generated content appears in strategy analysis.

Verified on: v1.02 + DLC patch · Last reviewed: May 30, 2026 · About the author · Editorial policies

PUBLISHED JUNE 2026 · QUICK ANSWER · v1.02 VERIFIED
✓ SPOILER LEVEL: LOW

Short answer: 1) Requiem Revolver first (Chapter 2 immediately). 2) W870 Police shotgun second (Chapter 4-5). 3) Clatter Carbine third (Chapter 6). Skip Silencer 9 Silencer 9 pistol after Chapter 3. Save currency for tier-3 upgrades — partial upgrades waste resources.

The optimal upgrade order

PriorityWeaponWhen to upgradeCost (T1 → T3)
#1Requiem RevolverImmediately (Ch. 2)12,000 → 35,000
#2W870 Police shotgunCh. 4-58,000 → 22,000
#3Clatter CarbineCh. 66,000 → 16,000
SkipSilencer 9 Silencer 9 pistolNever (post-Ch. 3)3,000 wasted
SkipS&S M232 S&S M232 handgunNever5,000 wasted

Currency budget plan

Total currency available across a Standard playthrough: ~85,000-100,000.

Currency sourceAmount
Enemy drops~30,000
Antique Coins (6× 10,000)60,000 (if not sold)
Chapter completion bonus~5,000

If you keep all Antique Coins (recommended), you have 95,000+ available. That covers Requiem Revolver T3 + W870 Police shotgun T2 + AR T1.

Upgrade priority by chapter

Ch. 2: Upgrade Requiem Revolver T1 → T2 immediately

You'll have ~15,000 currency at end of Care Center. T2 Requiem Revolver costs 8,000. Spend it. Save the rest for T3.

Ch. 4-5: Upgrade W870 Police shotgun T1 → T2

By Chapter 5, you should have ~25,000 saved. W870 Police shotgun T2 costs 6,000. Save rest for Requiem Revolver T3.

Ch. 6: Requiem Revolver T3 + AR T1

Requiem Revolver T3 (15,000) is the biggest single purchase. Pair with AR T1 (6,000) for RPD encounters.

Ch. 8: W870 Police shotgun T3 + final preparations

Final boss Requiem Revolver + W870 Police shotgun T3 combo dominates Victor Gideon phases.

Why this order?

Common upgrade mistakes

See our complete weapons tier list for all 17 weapons ranked.

Related guides
All 17 weapons ranked What is the best weapon? Best crafting recipes Best charm loadout What carries over to NG+ All guides

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