Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater — How to Kill The End Early (Sniping) & How the Clock‑Skip Works

Two legendary skips, one grumpy centenarian: your complete, spoiler‑lite walkthrough for the wheelchair snipe and the “die‑of‑old‑age” trick in Δ—plus what you’ll miss if you do.

The End’s duel is one of gaming’s all‑time great boss fights. Δ preserves every sly alternate solution from the 2004 original—including two infamous ways to skip the showdown entirely: (1) snipe him at the docks long before the intended battle, or (2) make time do the dirty work by saving, quitting, and changing your system clock so he passes away off‑screen. Both still work in the remake, with a few modern‑platform caveats and some very real reasons you might not want to skip.

Below you’ll find exact steps for both methods, what’s different in Δ, PS5/PC clock‑change instructions, and the rewards you give up (notably the Mosin‑Nagant and Moss camo).

What’s changed (and what hasn’t) in Δ

• Both skips are intact. You can still snipe The End in his wheelchair at the docks, and you can still trigger his “old age” death by advancing the system clock (or waiting a week+ in real time).
• Modern suspend behavior matters. On PS5/PC, Δ must be fully closed before you change the clock; if it’s left suspended in the background, the trick won’t trigger on reload.
• Aim model options can affect non‑lethal play. Δ adds “Legacy” vs. “New Style” aim behaviors; bullet drop in New Style makes long‑range non‑lethal shots harder, which is relevant if you choose to fight The End for his Mosin‑Nagant.
• Trophies/Achievements are updated for Δ. Sniping him early awards the “The Early End” trophy/achievement.

Method 1 — The wheelchair snipe (kill The End before his boss fight)

You’ll get a brief window to kill The End when he first appears being wheeled out at Ponizovje Warehouse: Exterior (the docks). The key is to grab a sniper rifle before you enter that map and auto‑trigger the cutscene.

Step‑by‑step

1. From Ponizovje South, go left before the northern exit. In Ponizovje South (the shallow water with trees), take the left path to Ponizovje West before you head north to the docks. If you go north first, you’ll trigger the cutscene without a rifle and lose the chance.
2. Enter the weapon shop in Ponizovje West. It’s behind an orange‑lit door; inside you’ll find the SVD/Dragunov sniper rifle. Equip it to a quick slot for instant access. (Optional: plant TNT to blow the shop afterwards for a small local debuff to guards.)
3. Return to Ponizovje South and take the northern exit into Ponizovje Warehouse: Exterior. The cutscene plays automatically—Sokolov panics, The End snoozes in his chair, and you regain control facing the docks.
4. As soon as you regain control, equip the SVD and shoot. Quickly line up your shot. A guard will try to wheel The End away; drop him first if he blocks the line of fire, then unload into The End. If you do it fast enough, The End explodes—mission accomplished.

Pro tips & gotchas

• Make a manual save before entering the docks map. If you miss the tiny window, you can reload and try again without replaying a chunk of the mission.
• “Wheel alert.” When The End dies here, a micro‑bomb detonation can fling a wheelchair wheel at Snake—be ready to dodge after the kill.
• Partial damage option. If you only wound him at the docks (instead of killing), he’ll start the later boss fight with reduced health and stamina—handy if you still want his rewards.
• What replaces the boss fight if he’s dead? Later, in the jungle area where the duel normally happens, you’ll fight Ocelot Unit soldiers instead.

Trophy/Achievement: Doing this on PS5/Xbox/PC pops “The Early End.”

Where that SVD is (quick refresher): you’ll also see the SVD listed in weapons guides as found in Ponizovje West during Operation Snake Eater, which is this exact detour route.

Method 2 — The clock‑skip (make The End die of old age)

This is the meta classic: save at the start of the boss battle, quit the game, move your system clock forward, reload, and watch Snake find that nature has already taken its course.

How the timing works in Δ

• Set the clock at least 7–8 days ahead of the save made during the boss fight. Multiple guides report one week works; others explicitly confirm “eight days or more”. Both timings are confirmed to trigger the “old age” death in Δ.
• If you load the save only 2–6 days later (real or faked), you’ll get a different cutscene where Snake is captured and wakes in the Graniny Gorki jail—then you have to trek back to resume the duel.

Important: You must fully close MGS Δ before changing your clock; background‑suspended apps (e.g., PS5’s quick‑resume style) won’t “see” the new time when you reload.

Universal steps (any platform)

1. Enter The End’s arena and make a manual save (Codec will even tease you about it).
2. Quit to the title and close the game application completely.
3. Change the system date forward at least 7–8 days.
4. Relaunch the game and load your save to trigger the old‑age death cutscene.

PS5: how to change your clock (quick guide)

• Settings → System → Date and Time
  • Turn Set Automatically Off
  • Choose Set Manually, then set the date ≥8 days ahead
  • (Optional) disable network time sync first so it doesn’t snap back online
• Relaunch MGS Δ and load your save.

PC (Windows 11/10): how to change your clock

• Settings → Time & language → Date & time
  • Toggle Set time automatically Off
  • Click Change under “Set the date and time manually,” set date ≥8 days ahead
  • (Optional) temporarily disable internet time sync; Steam offline mode can help avoid auto‑correct
• Relaunch MGS Δ and load your save.

Several outlets (and plenty of players) have re‑verified the clock‑skip in Δ on modern platforms; it’s not a PS2‑only relic.

Why you may not want to skip The End

Skipping is fun, but you’ll lock yourself out of some of the game’s best gear until your next run:

• Mosin‑Nagant (non‑lethal sniper rifle). You only receive this if you defeat The End non‑lethally (drain stamina). It’s the only long‑range tranquilizer rifle in the game and a stealth‑run all‑star. Skipping or killing him at the docks denies it for this playthrough.
• Moss camo (a.k.a. The End’s camo). This powerful uniform is obtained by holding up The End during the boss fight—sneak behind, raise your weapon, and persist until he drops it. The Moss camo offers photosynthetic stamina recovery and can reach extremely high camo indices in the jungle arenas. Again, you can’t get it if you skip the fight.
• A top‑tier boss encounter. Δ faithfully recreates the duel’s cat‑and‑mouse design. If you selected New Style aiming (with bullet drop), learning to close distance, use the Directional Mic, and spot scope glints is part of the intended mastery—and why many recommend doing the fight at least once in Δ.
• Side content context. The fight spans multiple jungle maps where you may be completing collectibles or optional challenges; skipping alters those beats. (For example, the game even nods to catching rare fauna in those arenas.)

Compromise tactic: Wound him at the docks so the later fight starts with less health/stamina, then do a non‑lethal finish to claim the Mosin‑Nagant—and hold him up at least once to grab Moss—all while experiencing the duel.

Loadouts & micro‑strategy (if you do the duel)

Even if you came here to skip, a dozen players will tell you later you “cheated yourself” out of a classic—so here’s the 60‑second kit to make the actual fight painless:

• Thermals + Directional Mic: Thermals confirm body heat in foliage; the mic locks onto his breathing, which grows louder as his stamina drops.
• Mk22 (tranq) + patience: On Legacy aiming, shots land flatter; on New Style, account for drop at range. Close distance whenever possible.
• Hold‑up for Moss: Sneak behind, aim at his head, keep him covered until he yields the camo (prepare for a flashbang escape).

Frequently asked questions

Q: If I snipe The End at the docks, do I still fight a boss later?
You won’t fight The End. In his arena, the game swaps in a skirmish with Ocelot Unit soldiers instead.

Q: Does the clock‑skip count as a “kill” on my no‑kills run?
No—the “old age” cutscene resolves the encounter without adding a kill to your stats. (You also won’t get Mosin‑Nagant/Moss.)

Q: What if I advance the clock only a few days?
Load within 72 hours and nothing special happens; 72–192 hours (3–8 days) triggers a capture cutscene, sending you to the Graniny Gorki cell. ≥8 days triggers The End’s death.

Q: Can I practice the snipe?
Yes—make a save before entering the docks map (Ponizovje Warehouse: Exterior). If you miss the window, reload and try again.

Quick reference checklists

Wheelchair snipe (docks) — 7 steps

1. In Ponizovje South, take the left exit to Ponizovje West.
2. Enter the lit weapon shop, collect the SVD.
3. Equip it to a quick slot.
4. Return to Ponizovje South; now take the north exit into the docks.
5. Watch the cutscene.
6. Immediately equip SVD; if needed, drop the guard wheeling The End first.
7. Headshot The End before he disappears; dodge the flying wheel.

Clock‑skip (old age) — 6 steps

1. Start The End fight, manual save.
2. Quit the game completely.
3. Change system date ≥8 days ahead (PS5/PC steps above).
4. Relaunch and load the save to trigger the death cutscene.
5. If you only advanced a few days, expect a capture cutscene instead.
6. Remember: skipping locks you out of Mosin‑Nagant and Moss this run.

Final advice

If you’re doing a first playthrough, give the duel a chance; Δ’s remastering keeps the atmosphere and tactics intact. If you’re speedrunning, trophy hunting, or on a repeat run, the Early End snipe and the clock‑skip are still stylish—and fully supported—shortcuts.