Have you ever wondered how long it takes to fully complete Minecraft PE? From the very first world generation to the final blow against the Ender Dragon? It can take quite a while if you consider all the tasks needed to travel from point A to point B:
Log into the game.
Chop down a tree.
Gather some wooden blocks.
Craft a crafting table.
Create a wooden sword.
Build a shelter…
Ssssss… Oh no! A creeper nearby..
BOOM!
Deep breath.
With all the unfortunate circumstances, poor planning, and sheer bad luck, an average player like me would need countless hours and significant effort to finish the game in Minecraft PE.
But what if I told you that a professional player—unlike myself—managed to complete the game in just 2 minutes and 23 seconds?
That’s right—2 minutes and 23 seconds!
Meet the speedrunners of Minecraft PE.
Speedrunning is a technique where players use specific strategies or glitches to finish the game as quickly as possible. It’s akin to Usain Bolt suddenly deciding to switch to arcade games. These players invest a lot of time perfecting every step of the game. They analyze each moment to shave off fractions of a second during their runs and seek out the fastest methods available.
So how do these players achieve such times? They complete the game faster than I can make myself a cup of tea. And why go through all this trouble?
I had the chance to speak with one of these top-tier runners who holds high ranks in the overall speedrun leaderboard. His username is Geosquare.
This video showcases a unique speedrunning method involving tools, which means using certain mods to expedite gameplay. In this instance, the player completed the game in just 1 minute and 35 seconds.
“I’m 17 years old, and I’ve spent 5 of those years playing Minecraft PE. I was only 12 when I first tried the game. Since then, Minecraft PE has been my favorite game. A year ago, I joined the speedrunning community and became an active member,” says Geosquare.
The player currently holds the 3rd place in the Any % Set Seed category, and if those words sound like gibberish to you, don’t worry—we’ll clarify everything below.
When this article was published, Geosquare had already reached 4th place. This highlights a major issue for speedrunners—they rapidly conquer new milestones in speedrunning.
Why do we see two different time values for each player? The first value indicates how long the player spent in Minecraft PE from login to completion. The second time reflects actual gameplay duration, excluding loading screens and other minor delays. This distinction exists because not every player can afford high-end computers that run at maximum efficiency.
Any % refers to a playstyle where players utilize their seed. This is important because worlds in Minecraft PE are generated randomly, making it difficult to complete the game quickly due to the time spent searching for various structures.
For example, if Mark and Tom both start speedrunning in Minecraft PE, it’s possible for Mark to finish the game in 7 minutes due to having an easier world, while Tom might take 25 (sorry, Tom).
Geosquare’s run in under 4 minutes.
To level the playing field, the community decided to use their seeds.
“A seed is a number that generates a world in Minecraft PE. So, if you use seed 8248, the game will always produce the same world. Special ideal seeds have been created for speedrunners to facilitate quicker completions,” notes Geosquare.
But what constitutes an ideal world?
“Different categories of speedrunners require different worlds. For instance, when using your own seed, you need obsidian and iron as soon as possible, so having a blacksmith and village with necessary items is essential. For the Set Seed Glitchless category, having 11 out of 12 Eye of Enders in the portal is mandatory.”
If you’re the most daring and determined player in Minecraft PE, you could try your hand at the random seed category, meaning you simply create a regular world and attempt to finish the game as fast as possible. The record in this category is held by user Illumina1337 with a time of 9 minutes and 52 seconds.
Finishing the game in under 10 minutes? No problem for Illumina1337.
“If you ask me to choose between random and specific seeds, I can’t pick one because I love both styles of play,” shares Illumina1337.
“Random generation requires more skill and experience since you must understand the nuances of world generation, but don’t overlook the more traditional speedrunning method either. If given the choice between exploiting glitches and not, I’d definitely opt for the glitchless approach—I’m not a fan of item duplication.”
Using game “glitches” also introduces a new category, as duplicating items is somewhat considered cheating.
TheeSizzler is the player holding the record in the Any % Set Seed Glitched category.
His record stands at 2 minutes and 31 seconds. However, every speedrunner in Minecraft PE aims to beat this time.
“Three main glitches are used in the game. One special method allows you to duplicate items and teleport quickly to the Nether,” explains TheeSizzler. Below he demonstrates how the method works.
Simply drop the required items on the ground. Easy!
Save the game and exit, then immediately re-enter the game.
Then pick up the items, close the game window, and reopen it. Bravo! Now you have two items instead of one.
Admiral_stapler holds third place in the Any % Set Seed Glitched category and offers advice to newcomers.
“Speedrunning is really simple. Choose a category that suits you and dive in! I recommend starting with the Random Seed Glitched category.
In some sections of speedrunning, you not only need to finish the game but also complete all achievements, from wood to diamonds!
“Find what fits you best and just get started!” continues Admiral, “Develop new strategies, experiment with different methods, and maybe you’ll become the best!”
If speedrunning sounds appealing to you, be sure to give it a try. The one thing all the players we spoke to agreed on is that the Minecraft PE community is amazing. And that’s the one thing that unites all builders—a love for the game.
To begin your journey into speedrunning and track your achievements, head over to the Minecraft PE forum dedicated to this category. There, you’ll find everything you need to get started—from tips to comprehensive guides.
Onward to the peaks!
