The Work, Part 1: Acceptance is the fourth Story Goal in God of War: Ragnarok’s free Valhalla DLC, and the first of three parts containing the full « Cycle » of Valhalla. In this « Roguelite » Mode that takes place after the main story, Kratos has now completed a full cycle of reaching the top of Valhalla, but must prove himself again to the host of this challenge, and face him once more to better understand his own demons.

Rewards: 55 Mastery Seals, 350 Spirit Seals, 3 Divine Triumph, Guiding Light Armor, Weapon Rank 3 Appearances

Master the Lower Realms of Valhalla

Now that you’ve finally met the Host of all this, and defeated him in combat, the true « cycle » of Valhalla has been unlocked, and will generally follow this path:

1. Perform the Ritual of Selection, choosing a Relic, Shield, and Spartan Rage
2. Pick a Weapon Path in the first room of Valgrind
3. Defeat Valhalla’s Chosen of the Lower Realms
4. Use the Ascending Sands
5. Defeat the Proving Grounds Boss
6. Reach the Greek Labyrinth
7. Defeat Valhalla’s Chosen of the Labyrinth
8. Use the Ascending Sands
9. Defeat Tyr

Depending on the difficulty you’ve selected, these attempts may take some time to master, especially depending on what skills, perks, and glyphs you get for a particular attempt. Luckily, there’s plenty of new features that are still being added for each story beat you complete.

The Tablet of Influence finally sells Sanctuary Barrier Keys, which will at last allow you to permanently unlock the black barriers in each of the Sanctuaries you visit between challenges. Note that you can only buy 8 Keys from the Tablet, meaning you’ll have to find more elsewhere.

In addition to the Keys, the Tablet of Influence also lets you buy upgrades to give more currency for completing an encounter, breaking pots, and from defeating Valhalla’s Chosen in both Lower and Upper Valhalla. You can also increase the chance of more Glyph Offerings from rewards, and from Tablets in Upper Valhalla.

Finally, the Tablet of Reflection now sells a specific selection of Armor sets that can be bought for different types of Crests, so if you want them, consider buying Crests when you reach the Upper Realms of Niflheim, Muspelheim, and Helheim.

Before heading back into Valhalla, note the new pedestal located by the Shield Selection, that has 3 different Relics you can choose from. In order to get more, you’ll need to either buy them at the final Tablet of Endeavor by the Greek Labyrinth, or unlock Relic Chests in Sanctuaries using the Sanctuary Barrier Keys. Note that like the Shield and Spartan Rage, one of the Relics will give you bonus Seals, but you may not the right one unlocked yet.

As you enter Valhalla for the next attempt, you’ll be happy to know that the first Weapon Path Chest now includes a Glyph for all three weapons, meaning you now easily choose which weapon you want to prioritize upgrading for any particular attempt.

After grabbing the chests in the next room, the Mystic Gateway will take you to a room with an item from Kratos’ past – a manifestation of guilt over his past actions. This first item is Kratos’ Oath Stone, a symbol of the pact he made with Ares, the God of War who bound Kratos to his fate in exchange for giving him the power to help his people.

Upon reaching the Sanctuaries, there are more than a few new things to be aware of:

• The Realm Sanctuary of Alfheim will now appear, making all seven realms available, and adding more Elf enemies that can appear in challenges.

• The first Realm Sanctuary you appear in will feature a large pillar that offers you Burdens of Valhalla. These self-imposed challenges will reduce your abilities in certain ways for a set number of encounters, but completing the challenge will lift the burden and grant you a free Glyph (one that doesn’t take up the space of other Glyph slots)!

• Now that you can purchase Sanctuary Barrier Keys, you can start to unlock various barriers found in each of the Realm Sanctuaries. Doing so will permanently unlock access, though some chests are one-time use. These include Armor Chests, Mastery Seal Chests, and Relic Chests (which unlock a new Relic to equip at the Ritual of Selection). On the other hand, things like Stat Glyph Chests can be accessed each time you attempt a new cycle once you’ve unlocked its corresponding barrier.

• After a few attempts, you may start to notice that a new Mystic Gateway will open in addition to the other potential paths. Marked with the Skull Icon, it will take you straight to the Valhalla’s Champion so you can bypass challenge rooms – but be aware, you’ll be potentially missing out on extra perks (and conversations too!)

• Another new Icon will appear in place of your potential Mystic Gateway choices, marked with a ?. Depending on the weapon path you’ve chosen, it will lead to one of three areas with a few enemies, several chests, and even a Nornir Chest Puzzle! You can see overviews of each Chamber below:

Chamber of Aeacus

If you enter the Question Mark Door with the Leviathan Axe Weapon Path chosen, you’ll arrive at the Chamber of Aeacus. The area will have a smattering of a few enemies, but rarely anything too involving.

On a lower path to the right going under a small tunnel, you can find a red chest that holds 15-25 Mastery Seals – but be aware it’s likely guarded by enemies that can appear near it.

Over on a higher path up to the left side, a second red chest holding 15-25 Mastery Seals is also guarded by a few enemies.

Up on the top main path, you’ll find a Nornir Chest that requires you to hit three bells quickly. Thankfully, all three bells are located direction behind the chest – one just to the right of the Mystic Gateway in the distance, one under a jagged diagonal outcropping, and one hanging from the top of said outcropping to the right. Unlocking the Nornir Chest will award 3 Leviathan Crests, and possibly a piece of the Hunter Armor.

Finally, opening the iron gate will lead to the exit, along with three chests to choose from (you can only pick one).

Chamber of Rhadamanthus

If you enter the Question Mark Door with the Chaos Blades Weapon Path chosen, you’ll arrive at the Chamber of Rhadamanthus.

If you look to the left of the entrance through a rocky arch, you can find a red chest with 15-15 Mastery Seals guarded by a few enemies.

Over on the right, a poison totem will block your progress, so throw a Leviathan Axe at it and then engage the few enemies on the far side. Here you’ll find a Nornir Chest that requires you to ignite three braziers using the Chaos Blades.

One brazier can be found down to the left where a red chest holds 15-25 Mastery Seals, and is guarded by a few enemies. The brazier itself is just to the right of the giant chain. A second brazier can be found as you return back to the Nornir Chest, looking to the left behind some rocks before jumping the small gap. The third can be found going up towards the poison totem, looking left along the rocks as you reach the edge of the poison area. Unlocking this Nornir Chests will award 3 Chaos Crests, and possible a piece of the Hunter Armor.

Finally, opening the iron gate will lead to the exit, along with three chests to choose from (you can only pick one).

Chamber of Minos

If you enter the Question Mark Door with the Draupnir Spear Weapon Path chosen, you’ll arrive at the Chamber of Minos. Be ready to deal with a scattered few enemies in the open area past the entrance.

Be sure to check the path on the right under the stairs to find a red chest with 15-25 Master Seals in it before heading up to the higher platform from the center.

Take the path left from the upper platform, and you’ll find a path going up some broken stairs up a hill leading to a second red chest overlooking the chamber below with more Master Seals, but it is often guarded by enemies.

Back down on the upper platform, you’ll find a Nornir Chest that requires you to throw your spear at three totems and detonate them all at once.

One totem can be found just to the left of the Nornir Chest, on the top of a floating broken platform. Another totem can be found just down at the end of the stairs from the chest in a small alcove on the left. The final totem is hiding behind the chest itself, which you can spot from the lower central area looking up towards the chest from below. Unlocking this Nornir Chests will award 3 Draupnir Crests, and possible a piece of the Hunter Armor.

Finally, opening the iron gate will lead to the exit, along with three chests to choose from (you can only pick one).

Proving Ground Bosses

Unlike previous cycles, once you defeat Valhalla’s Chosen and unlock the Ascending Sands, you won’t be limited to fighting just one type of boss, as it appears there are several who can appear to face off against you in the Proving Grounds – here’s what we’ve faced:

Miklimunnr is your standard fiery Troll – the same one you fought to free who you thought was Tyr back in Svartalfheim. Thankfully, as far as bosses go he doesn’t have too many moves to use against you – but they do hit hard.

The most frightening ones to watch out for is his unblockable leaping attack, and his unblockable pillar slam attack, as they can both deal a lot of damage if you aren’t paying attention and roll out of the way first.

Even he uses his normal stomp attacks, the fire that spreads can still be dangerous, so try to stay mobile when possible and not linger where there’s fire.

His only other real main attack is a combination of a heavy swing of his pillar, which he often follows with an unblockable slam. While you can parry the first hit, it’s usually better to just evade and counter when his second hit follows through.

The Hateful is your old nemesis that would appear at the Dragur Holes across the Nine Realms, and she’s itching for a rematch.

She can move fast, fling strong projectiles at you, and hit with long combo attacks, so you’ll need to be ready to react quickly to her moves.

When she stomps the ground, be ready to dodge to the side of an unblockable lunging attack that has a huge distance, and she’ll often quickly follow up with a combo attack, so wait until there’s spot to respond with your own attacks. Her unblockable attack can also begin with an uppercut, so you need to keep an eye on how she begins her attacks and react accordingly.

She can also prepare and overhand slam to create an unblockable fissure – but you can cut her off early with a well-timed shield strike, and follow up with Runic Attacks while she’s stunned.

After proving yourself, you’ll find that the boss arenas continue to provide a Relic Chest as well as a health/rage one, meaning you’re free to swap out your Relic if you don’t like the one you have. If you have a good Relic already, you should still interact with the chest and decline to swap, since you’ll still get some Mastery Seals from the chest too.

Unlock the Path Through the Greek Labyrinth

Arriving in the Upper Realms, remember the Tablet of Endeavor in each primordial realm that you can buy Crests from, or imbue your chosen weapon to become a bit more powerful.

Along the path to the Labyrinth, you may start to encounter a large Sword of Surtr, like those used in the Muspelheim Crucible Challenges. Interact with this sword to give yourself optional challenges to defeat enemies in creative ways – similar to Burdens, but without the penalties. Plus, if you complete them, you’ll earn extra Spirit Seals.

When you reach the large chain that connects the realms, you’ll find an Object of Judgement – the key piece of Kratos’ guilt-ridden past that was hinted at earlier in your attempt. Collect it, and then head to the Greece area where the Ascending Sands and Labyrinth await.

A few things have changed that you’ll notice upon your arrival – namely that there’s another place to take on Burdens of Valhalla. Given your proximity to the end of the cycle, and the difficulty of encounters in the Labyrinth, be sure you have what it takes to survive these burdens, and you’ll usually get some great rewards to use on the final boss.

You’ll also find a third Greek Chest has been added to the hub area, and will grant you a Divine Triumph in exchange for 1,000 Fleeting Echoes, should you amass a large haul from your time in the Labyrinth.

Be sure to also check out the Tablet of Endeavor, as you can now purchase a few random Relics for 500 to 1,000 Fleeting Echoes a piece to add directly to your pool at the Relic Pedastal. You can also buy more Sanctuary Barrier Keys here, if you find yourself low on Seals, but have an excess of Fleeting Echoes to use instead.

When you interact with the Ascending Sands this time, there will be a new twist on the Labyrinth. Instead of all of the gates opening and the timer starting, only the front gates will lower as unearthly singing can be heard. Step into a round arena, where you’ll run into another enemy of the past – a Siren. She’ll disappear into a Red Realm Tear, which you must defeat before you can access the rest of the Labyrinth.

A Legionnaire Captain will usually appear first, mixing in strong attack thrusts from his sword with unblockable Rage Siphon slams from his scythe. If you get caught in the blast from the siphon, quickly swap weapons to counter his shield before he takes your Rage away.

Defeating it should cause more enemies to appear, including more Legionnaires — as well as the Siren miniboss. The Siren should be your absolute priority as her attacks hit hard and debilitate you, especially if you aren’t paying attention.

She’ll regularly summon giant unblockable orbs that blind you on hit, and need to be struck with projectiles quickly. If you see smaller tracking orbs fly out of her, block or parry those ones right back at her.

On top of this, she can also let loose an area of effect screech a short distance away from herself that will siphon your rage if you aren’t at a good distance — or interrupt her with a strong hit or runic attack, which means you’ll need to quickly retaliate if you get hit.

Even her melee attacks can cause trouble, as she can perform two quick slashes with an unblockable third strike. Dodge to the side, and follow up with a Runic Attack before she can perform her next move. Since you’ll still need to avoid siphoning attacks from Legionnaires, listen to your talking head to know when one is leaping at you.

When the Siren is defeated, interact with the Red Realm Tear to grab a Perfect Perk Glyph, and you’ll find you’ve defeated 1 of the 4 of Valhalla’s Chosen needed to progress. At this point, the rest of the Labyrinth should now be available, and you’ll gain time extensions each time you clear another Rift.

Leave the circular arena chamber, and take either the west or east path to find more Rift Tears to clear out, as well as chests and health stones stashed in random corners. Try to prioritize a few Yellow or Red Realm Tears while your timer is still on the low levels, and leave the Blue Tears for last if you still need some extra Valhalla’s Chosen when the difficulty ramps up.

Note that there are few gates that remain locked – one in the east wing, one up on a higher platform in the west wing, and one on the level above the hub area by the Ascending Sands that also has a chest nearby. You might not be able to open those yet, so we’ll look into some of those next time.

Once you have four total of Valhalla’s Chosen defeated, you can either continue to explore for extra Glyph Chests if you’re feeling confident, or want to farm fore Fleeting Echoes to use on the locked Greek Chests in the hub area or get some extra health and supplies from the Tablet of Endeavor. Take the Ascending Sands up when you’re ready to face Tyr again, but don’t expect it to be exactly the same fight…

Boss Battle – Tyr (Greatsword)

Unlike your previous battle, Tyr will have a new weapon to play around with, an obsidian-bladed macuahuitl weapon from Mesoamerica. With this new style, Tyr has a host of new attacks you haven’t seen before, so be ready to adapt to his new moves.

Just like before, Tyr won’t waste much time pressing the offensive, and you’ll need to be ready for two quick overhead slashes, before he drags his weapon up into an unblockable overhead slam.

This combo finisher blasts fire in all directions, which can splash onto you, so beware trying to dodge and counter his attack this way.

If he walks forward and starts to twist his body, he’ll come at you with two spinning slices, followed by a third strong attack that you can parry to set him off balance, and then unleash a big counter with combos or Runic Attacks before he can steady himself. Be warned, some times he may switch up into his unblockable third hit, so watch his movements closely!

After taking a bit of damage, he may back off for a moment and utter an incantation, summoning a circle of bloody orbs that move outward in a circle. While they don’t do too much damage, they do knock you back quite a distance, stunning you for his follow-up move.

While the blood orbs travel out, he’ll also summon a line of large shining waves of force that will shoot outward and grow fairly large.

He’ll only leave small holes when creating these lines of projectiles, making it tough to dodge the 2-3 blasts. You can’t just block them, but luckily you can parry them with a bit of timing and send them back at him.

After he finishes sending projectiles, he’ll usually pull his sword up and start charging up, giving you a very limited time to sprint up and shield bash him to interrupt. If you don’t get to him in time, he’ll slam the ground to send you stumbling towards him, as he follows up with an unblockable grab that’s tough to dodge with its speed.

If he gets ahold of you tap R2 quickly to break free before you take too much damage!

Like his previous fight, he will retreat at half health to summon several Legionnaires to fight in his place, making it a good time to quickly whittle them down with Spartan Rage if you have offensive ones equipped.

Where in the last time he threw down projectiles, he’ll instead call upon his minions to slowly march towards his spot above the door, where he’ll begin to siphon their life and restore his health. This makes speed (and Spartan Rage) imperative to stop the enemies before they can start healing Tyr.

Be ready for him to slam back into the center of the arena and get your hits in, and be ready for the second half of the fight for him to send out those giant projectiles more frequently. If you can dodge or deflect them reliably, he’ll have a length period after stomping before he can pull out his weapon to attack, giving you lots of opportunities to deal some good damage.

When Tyr yields for a second time, he’ll share some wisdom about Kratos’ guilt regarding what happened when he bargained with Ares, and leave the God of War with something to think about as you return to the Shores of Valhalla.

Now that you’re done with Acceptance, it’s time to become Vigilant.