We Explain All the Different Types of Minecraft Speedruns

Hannan Mundia Last updated 30/07/2026

Speedrunning has taken over the Minecraft world, but the many different variations of speedrunning mean that not every speedrunner has the same goal in mind.

The diverse world of Minecraft demands an equally diverse set of speedrunning categories for its players to compete in. The goals can range from achieving milestones to collecting the right set of items before destroying the Ender Dragon and technically beating the game.

Minecraft has one of the most imaginative and competitive speedrunning communities around. This, paired with the fact that the game is still incredibly popular on Xbox in 2026, 15 years after its initial release, means that there are multiple types of Minecraft speedruns. Here are all of them.

Beat the game speedrun categories

These are arguably the most common types of Minecraft speedruns. Instead of having any specific requirement that some players may find oddly specific or niche, speedrunners just have to beat the game here. This means that the run ends when you defeat the Ender Dragons. However, the requirements and limitations depend on the type of speedrun being attempted in this category.

The most popular types of speedruns in this category include:

Any % random seed glitchless (RSG) – Beat the Ender Dragon on a random world. Can be glitchless or with glitches allowed.
Any % Set Seed – Beat the Ender Dragon on a predetermined seed either without glitches or using allowed glitches.
Filtered seed – Beat the Ender Dragon using one of the community-approved optimized seeds glitchless or with glitches.

While they fall under the same category, glitchless and glitched runs have different set records. Naturally, glitched runs are almost always completed quicker than glitchless ones, but they require a high understanding of how key glitches are performed.

This is a part of Minecraft that is extremely popular with streamers and viewers, with xQc setting a record in early 2026.

Image credit: xQc

Boss speedrun categories

The Ender Dragon is the most popular boss in Minecraft, but the game has a handful of other bosses as well. Boss speedrun categories have speedrunners aim to defeat specific Minecraft bosses as soon as they can. Most players usually go for bosses beyond the Ender Dragon, since defeating this end-game boss causes the credits to roll, setting these runs in the same categories as runs that aim to complete the game.

Because of this, most Minecraft boss speedruns center around the Wither or an Elder Guardian. Alternatively, some runs have players defeating the Ender Dragon, Wither, and Elder Guardian consecutively.

Item collection speedrun categories

Collecting the right items is usually the crux of any good Minecraft playthrough. Therefore, it makes sense that the speedrunning community would center multiple speedrunning types around collecting specific items.

Technically speaking, there could be a speedrunning type for collecting any item in the game. However, the most popular items that players usually aim to get in these speedruns include:

A full set of diamond armor
A full set of Netherite armor
Totem of Undying
A dragon egg
A trident
An enchanted golden apple

Similarly, some types of speedruns focus on Minecraft’s advancement system. This requires players to unlock every advancement, eat every edible item, obtain the “How Did We Get Here?” advancement, or do something similar.

Building something in Minecraft is entirely reliant on the player’s skill. But speedrunning has to have some RNG to spice things up. The perfect examples of these are all of the runs that land under the structure-related categories. These runs require players to find and reach a specific structure in a randomly generated seed. The most popular structures speedrunners must find include:

A stronghold
An ancient city
A woodland mansion
An ocean monument
A trial chamber

While not nearly as RNG-reliant, some runs also task players with reaching a destination quickly. These destinations include the Nether and the End, though players may also have to return from the End to count their run as well.

Challenge speedrun categories

Almost every other Minecraft speedrun category has players playing on the vanilla version of the game. But those who don’t mind a challenge could go for a run in the challenge speedrun category. As the name suggests, these runs modify the rules or difficulty of the game. The difficulty doesn’t necessarily have to be bumped up, as there’s a speedrun record for every difficulty in the game.

Hardcore is the most popular difficulty that players go for, aside from vanilla. However, some speedrunners attempt to beat the game quickly on peaceful difficulty or while playing on a superflat or amplified world.

Multiplayer speedruns may sound easy, but they have more factors that speedrunners must consider. Every player must be on the same page if they want a run to be successful quickly enough, but these types of Minecraft speedruns are highly recommended for those looking to make content or just have a blast.

Speedruns in this category are usually fairly straightforward. This includes having multiplayer players work together to beat the Ender Dragon and complete the game or maybe beating every boss in the game. There are also relay speedruns, where players take turns controlling the same run’s section before passing the metaphorical baton to the next player. The only issue with this is that keeping track of the time could get tough.

Other Minecraft speedrun categories

Minecraft is easily one of the largest games ever, especially with its active and involved speedrunning community. Unlike a fairly linear game such as Super Mario 64, Minecraft gives players the freedom to play how they want. This has naturally created so many types of Minecraft speedruns that listing them all would be borderline impossible, at least when combining official and unofficial types.

Some other popular speedrun types include:

Crafting all types of swords
Earning the Hero of the Village advancement
Killing every mob in the game
Collecting every music disc
Completing a given Skyblock objective

This large speedrunning community is essentially a double-edged sword for newcomers wanting to get involved in it. While there are multiple speedrunning types, there’s a good chance that a skilled Minecraft player has already set a solid record that you’ll have to work hard to beat.

Featured image credit: Microsoft

Hannan Mundia

About Hannan Mundia

Hannan Mundia is a lifelong gamer. Don’t believe us? Just ask him. But don’t ask how many hours he’s spent playing. He’s been gaming since the age of three, and much of his live revolves around video games and the video game industry. Whether it’s a classic Legend of Zelda game from Nintendo, the newest Bethesda RPG, or something else entirely, you can bet that Hannan is ready and willing to play it.

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