God of War Ragnarök‘s stunning world is steeped in Norse mythology and epic journeys across the legendary Nine Realms. As the Bearded One, Kratos, and his son Atreus quest for answers, players discover wondrous locations filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered.
One such mysterious place is the long-abandoned village in the realm of Vanaheim. This eerie, monster-filled village rewards exploration with epic gear and clues to the world‘s past. But first, you need to unlock the associated Mystic Gateway to access it.
In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn how to unlock the Abandoned Village Mystic Gateway in God of War Ragnarök, opening up this optional and rewarding area.
The Lore Behind Abandoned Villages in Norse Mythology
Before diving into how to access the Abandoned Village, it helps to understand its significance. In Norse legends, abandoned villages symbolize the relentless wars among gods, monsters, and humans over the realms.
When the Vanir goddess Freya led the Aesir gods in an invasion of Vanaheim, villages were devastated and left abandoned. The dead haunted these villages, unable to move on. As a god of war, Kratos would feel this dark history deeply.
Now, abandoned villages house monsters and treasures, waiting for a warrior brave enough to confront their lingering evils. Unlocking the one in Ragnarök lets you etch your mark on Vanaheim‘s history through conquest.
How Mystic Gateways Enable Fast Travel
To enter the Abandoned Village, you need to activate its Mystic Gateway. For newcomers, Mystic Gateways serve as fast travel points in God of War Ragnarök.
They allow instant transportation between realms and areas via magical portals. This enables easy backtracking and skips tedious retreading of areas. It‘s a standard feature in open world games like Assassin‘s Creed and The Witcher 3.
Gateways also facilitate exploring a nonlinear world at your own pace. You can venture to high-level areas, unlock the Gateway, then return later when you‘re ready.
Acquiring Yggdrasil Seeds to Unlock Gateways
But how do you activate Mystic Gateways? In the previous God of War (2018), Kratos did so by destroying the rune seals on them.
However, Ragnarök introduces a new method involving Yggdrasil Seeds. These special consumable items allow growing and expanding the World Tree Yggdrasil to new locations.
Here are the main ways to get Yggdrasil Seeds:
- Main Story: Automatically obtained during story progression.
- Side Quests: Rewarded for completing side content like "In Service of Asgard".
- Treasure Maps: Finding the hidden cache grants 2-3 Seeds.
- Nornir Chests: Clearing the rune challenges opens chests with 2-3 Seeds each.
- Legendary Chests: Glowing chests in the open world containing 3-5 Seeds.
- Shop: Can purchase unlimited amounts for 500 Hacksilver each after the story.
So playing through the main campaign, side content, and exploring thoroughly nets you Seeds to expand Yggdrasil‘s branches.
When You Can Unlock The Abandoned Village Gateway
Critically, the Abandoned Village‘s Gateway only unlocks after reaching a certain point in the story.
You must completely finish the main "The Realms at War" questline and watch the credits before gaining access. The game prevents unlocking it prior.
This ensures players experience the full arc of Ragnarök‘s realms before secret areas open up. You‘re looking at a minimum of 20+ hours of gameplay before unlocking this Gateway.
Step-By-Step Instructions to Unlock the Gateway
Once the credits roll, here are the steps to open the Abandoned Village Gateway:
1. Speak with Ratatoskr
- Travel to Ironwood in Midgard and go to Sindri‘s house.
- Use the Leviathan Axe to hit the bell outside, summoning Ratatoskr the squirrel.
- In the cutscene, he gifts Kratos a pouch of Yggdrasil Seeds to grow Yggdrasil freely.
2. Open the Mystic Gateway Menu
- Approach any active Mystic Gateway and select "Yggdrasil" when prompted.
- This brings up the Yggdrasil Realm Travel Menu.
3. Select the Abandoned Village Gateway
- In the menu, navigate to Vanaheim and find the Abandoned Village‘s Mystic Gateway icon.
- With this Gateway highlighted, choose "Unlock" and Kratos consumes 1 Seed.
4. Travel to the Abandoned Village
- Finally, pick the now unlocked Gateway to fast travel to the Abandoned Village.
- You can freely return via this Gateway anytime now!
And that unlocks access to the eerie Abandoned Village! Now let‘s explore what secrets it hides.
What You Can Find in the Abandoned Village
This abandoned town hides many treasures for the taking:
- Yggdrasil Rift – Contains a tough, rewarding combat challenge.
- Legendary Chest – Grants the powerful Blightbringer Leviathan Axe heavy runic attack.
- Lore – Notes and murals reveal the village‘s history.
- Resources – Crafting materials like Ancient Arrows and Chaos Flames.
- Nornir Chest – Unlocks an Idunn Apple for health upgrade.
- Odin‘s Ravens – Shooting them down boosts health and rage.
Key Collectibles in the Abandoned Village
| Collectible | Description |
|---|---|
| Yggdrasil Rift | Challenge portal with Wrath of the Wolf reward |
| Legendary Chest | Blightbringer runic attack |
| Lore Scrolls | 3 scrolls on the village‘s past |
| Nornir Chest | Idunn Apple for health upgrade |
| Odin‘s Ravens | 2 ravens to increase health/rage |
So the Abandoned Village is worth unlocking for its wealth of collectibles and challenge content.
Tips for Amassing Yggdrasil Seeds
To unlock Mystic Gateways across the realms, you need a steady supply of Yggdrasil Seeds. Here are tips for accumulating them quickly:
- Buy all affordable Seeds from shops once they unlock after the story.
- Make completing treasure maps a priority early on for the easy 2-3 Seeds per map.
- Look for golden glowing Legendary Chests – they always contain Seeds.
- Fully clear optional realms like Vanaheim and Svartalfheim of chests and secrets.
- Focus on Nornir Chests to stock up on 2-3 Seeds per rune puzzle solved.
- Cash in Hacksilver to purchase Seeds in bulk from Brok and Sindri.
Following these Yggdrasil Seed farming tricks ensures you‘ll have enough to unlock all of Ragnarök‘s Mystic Gateways and realms.
More God of War Ragnarök Guides
I hope this guide helps you swiftly unlock the Abandoned Village Gateway in God of War Ragnarök! Here are more of my Ragnarök guides:
- How to Find the Real Tyr
- Defeating the Berserker Boss
- Where to Find All Idunn Apples
- Unlocking the Secret Muspelheim Realm
- Best Runic Attacks to Unlock First
Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments! I‘m here to help you experience everything amazing Ragnarök has to offer.
