The full game launches on October 1, 2026, so a complete walkthrough cannot exist yet. From the press demos: you start with a pulse pistol and the Scanner beside a save point and workbench, and an early objective is to find and activate three power cores to restart a reactor. To find the way forward, scan doors and obstacles so the map shows what each one needs, then return with the right tool.
Why there is no full walkthrough yet
End of Abyss has only been played by press at events such as Summer Game Fest 2025 and 2026. Chapter order, area names and the route through each region have not been published. Anything claiming to be a complete walkthrough before October 1, 2026 is guesswork.
What does exist is a consistent picture of the opening and of one demo area, the reactor section. This page covers that confirmed ground and explains how navigation works, so you can plan your own route. It will be rebuilt as a full walkthrough after launch.
The opening: what you start with
VDGMS described the start plainly: you emerge from a save cube with a pistol and a Scanner, next to a craft bench, and that's it. Cel has become separated from her team in an abandoned underground facility. There is no tutorial dump; the game lets you work things out.
- Pulse pistol: infinite ammo, charged shot on hold.
- Scanner: tags doors, items, walls and enemies on the map.
- Save point: heals you and saves progress, but respawns enemies.
- Craft bench: spend fragments on ammo, consumables and upgrades.
Previewers picked up a shotgun early in their sessions, along with grenades and flares. The exact pickup spots in the final game are not documented yet; see weapon locations.
The reactor objective: three power cores
The best-documented goal comes from Xbox Wire and TechRaptor. In an industrial reactor section, you must find and activate three power cores, spread apart from each other, to bring the reactor back online. The area spans multiple floors.
Exact core locations depend on the final build and are not public. The power core locations page collects everything confirmed and will be updated with routes after launch.
How areas are gated
Progress follows classic Metroidvania rules, which Xbox Wire summed up as locked doors, keys, backtracking and shortcuts that unlock as you grow stronger. Previews and developer videos confirm these specific blockers:
| Obstacle | What opens it |
|---|---|
| Security doors | Specific keycards |
| Weak or vulnerable walls | Explosives (a C4-like charge unlocked later) |
| Out-of-reach anchor points and levers | Grappling hook |
| A raised ladder | A tool you get later |
| A flooded pool | Draining the water later in progression |
| Switches and buttons | Interacting with them directly |
Shortcuts often loop back toward save points. The level designers describe save points as rewards for unlocking a shortcut or reaching the end of a long path.
How to find the way forward
The developers deliberately avoid telling you where to go. Instead, the map fills in as you scan. When you are stuck, open the map and look for a door or obstacle you have tagged but not yet opened.
- Scan every locked door and blocker the moment you see it.
- Check which tool or keycard each one needs.
- When you pick up a new tool or keycard, check the map; it shows which door it belongs to.
- Return along the nearest shortcut, resting at save points on the way.
Dark basement levels are worth exploring carefully. The level designer says that's where the most dangerous enemies hide, and also where many secrets are tucked away. See all secrets.
Planning routes between save points
Because resting respawns most enemies, each save point is a trade-off. You get full health and healing back, but the corridors you just cleared fill up again. Planning which save point to use next makes long routes far less painful.
The level designers say save points usually sit at the start or end of a loop, at the end of a long path, or close to a boss. When a shortcut opens back to a save point you already know, use it. It is often faster than the route you took the first time.
Boss encounters seen in demos
Two bosses appeared in press builds. The first is a centipede-like creature with human limbs that stalks you before the fight, then changes its behaviour at half health. The second is a hulking ooze creature that grabs a steel beam halfway through for extra reach.
Where these fights sit in the final game's order is not known. Save points are placed close to bosses so retries are quick. Tactics are in the boss guide.
Environments you will pass through
The developers describe a man-made facility of metal, concrete, machinery and pipes, with some sewer-like sections. Xbox Wire's reactor area had cold metal tunnels, low blue light and strange fungal growths. Deeper parts of each area turn the lights off.
Elevators, ladders and stairs connect floors. For how the map is structured, read the map guide.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I go after the start?
Explore outward from the first save point and scan everything you pass. Locked doors and blockers are tagged on your map with what they need, which shows you the routes you can take now and the ones to leave for later.
How many power cores are there?
Three. In the reactor section of the press demo, the goal was to find and activate three power cores spread apart from each other to bring the reactor back online.
Can I get permanently stuck?
Nothing in the previews suggests so. Death keeps your items and unlocked doors, and gated paths simply wait until you have the right tool. Shortcuts also open back toward save points.
Is the walkthrough linear?
No. The facility has branching paths and multiple floors, and previewers describe classic Metroidvania backtracking. The order in which you tackle some areas may vary.
What this walkthrough will add after launch
Once the game is out, this page will cover the real chapter order, area names and routes, with the location of each save point and workbench. Boss names and strategies will be added as they are confirmed in the retail build. Until then, the beginner guide covers everything you need to survive the opening.
This page only uses details from official store pages, developer statements and hands-on press previews. Anything unconfirmed before the October 1, 2026 launch is left out and will be added once verified. Last research pass: September 28, 2026.
Sources
References and further reading for this article.