Speedruns are cool. But they can also reach a point where simply playing the game starts to sound easier. Watching someone bend a game to their will can be fascinating, but when the process involves dozens of steps, frame perfect inputs, and real time maths, it can also feel completely unhinged. Still, speedrunning has always attracted a special kind of player. These are people who enjoy breaking games more than finishing them normally. And once in a while, a discovery comes along that reminds everyone why this scene is so exciting. That is exactly what has happened with GTA San Andreas, where a newly found exploit has dragged Any% speedruns back into the spotlight after years of relative silence.
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For a long time, San Andreas speedrunning was split between different versions of the game, with each one having its own set of exploits. The original PC release, in particular, was considered mostly figured out. But that has now changed.
A newly discovered exploit is so complicated that it has stunned even veteran runners, while also making Any% runs exciting again. And if you are willing to follow through, it will let you complete the game in under one hour.
The new exploit that rewrites Any% runs
San Andreas once had a strong Any% speedrunning scene, but interest dropped after a powerful exploit was found in the Windows Store version of the game. That exploit allowed runners to skip directly to later parts of the story, including the final mission, saving hours. While impressive, it also made runs less fun to watch and perform, pushing most players towards alternative categories.
Now, Reddit user Vitosi4ek, first spotted by IGN, has revealed a completely different exploit that works only on the original PC release. Unlike earlier methods, this one does not rely on simple skips. Instead, it stitches together almost every major glitch the community has discovered over the years.
According to Vitosi4ek, the process is so extreme that it feels like breaking the game at a fundamental level. The discovery has revived interest in true Any% runs, with runners once again racing to master something that feels new, risky, and deeply technical.
How to beat GTA San Andreas in an hour: The 31-steps process
To speedrun the game and beat it in under an hour, a player needs to follow 31 steps that must be executed almost perfectly. It starts with gambling on in-game horse races to earn exactly the right amount of money. Earn too much and the run can fail later.
Players then need to buy the Jefferson Safehouse, grab a nearby NRG 500 bike, and perform stunt jumps. Thanks to earlier glitches, these jumps actually reduce the player’s money instead of increasing it. The goal is to push cash into negative values, which breaks the gambling system entirely.
From there, runners make extremely specific bets while doing real time calculations to manipulate game memory.
Eventually, all of this leads directly to the final mission of GTA San Andreas, which you need to complete normally. The current world record stands at 53 minutes and 46.94 seconds, with runners already confident that even faster times are possible once the strategy is refined further.
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Divyanshi Sharma
Divyanshi Sharma is a media and communications professional with over 8 years of experience in the industry. With a strong background in tech journalism, she has covered everything from the latest gadgets to gaming trends and brings a sharp editorial lens to every story. She holds a master’s diploma in mass communication and a bachelor’s degree in English literature. Her love for writing and gaming began early—often skipping classes to try out the latest titles—which naturally evolved into a career at the intersection of technology and storytelling. When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her exploring virtual worlds on her console or PC, or testing out a new laptop she managed to get her hands on. View Full Profile
