God of War Ragnarök‘s Sanctuary Grove is a breathtaking, lush forest area with side quests, collectibles, bosses, and more hidden within. Unlocking the Sanctuary Grove mystic gateway lets you access this exclusive content.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to reach Sanctuary Grove in Midgard.
Why Journey to Sanctuary Grove?
Before getting into the steps, let‘s look at why you should take the time to unlock Sanctuary Grove in the first place.
A Scenic Forest Retreat
Sanctuary Grove is one of the most visually stunning locations in all of Midgard. Lush greenery and cascading waterfalls create a peaceful atmosphere very different from Midgard‘s icy Lake of Nine region. It‘s a gorgeous place to take a breather and appreciate Ragnarök‘s art direction.
Exclusive Side Content
Several side quests only become available once Sanctuary Grove is unlocked. The most lucrative is "In Service of Asgard" which rewards the Volsung armor set for Kratos. This mythic armor provides a huge boost to strength, runic, and vitality stats.
Hidden Collectibles
Exploring off the beaten path inside the sanctuary can lead to finding artifacts, chests, and other collectibles not found anywhere else. For example, you can find Idunn‘s Heart Artifact which reveals one of Idunn‘s lost apples.
Optional Bosses
Two optional bosses appear in Sanctuary Grove, drop rare crafting materials, and give you the chance to test your combat skills.
Now let‘s get into the step-by-step process for reaching this lush and lively grove.
Step 1: Complete the Main Story Questline
To gain access to Sanctuary Grove, the first requirement is finishing the main story quest "The Realms at War." This primary quest line takes around 20-30 hours to complete.
The final missions include restoring the Bifröst, battling through to The Allfather‘s throne room, and defeating Odin in a multi-stage boss fight. Take time to level up Kratos and Atreus as much as possible beforehand.
Once you‘ve watched the concluding cinematic and the game credits, you‘ll get a notification that you‘ve completed the main story campaign.
Step 2: Locate and Talk to Ratatoskr
With Ragnarök‘s overarching narrative complete, your next objective is chatting with Ratatoskr. This squirrel messenger holds the key to unlocking Sanctuary Grove.
You can reliably find Ratatoskr hanging around Sindri‘s house in The Strond area of Midgard. Look for a rope bell you can hit with the Leviathan Axe to call Ratatoskr down from the roof.
Interact with him here and he‘ll hand over a pouch of Yggdrasil seeds, which are required for the next step.
Step 3: Spend Seeds to Unlock the Gateway
Now you have the precious Yggdrasil seeds in your possession. It‘s time to use them at the mystic gateway to gain access to Sanctuary Grove.
From any gateway, select "Travel to Midgard." On the Midgard map, navigate to the icon for Sanctuary Grove. Hover over it and press X twice to spend the seeds and permanently unlock this fast travel point.
You‘ll also now have access to a Sanctuary Grove cortex entry with some background lore.
Step 4: Step Through the Gateway
You did it! With the Sanctuary Grove mystic gateway now unlocked, all that‘s left is to travel through it.
Access any gateway, select the Sanctuary Grove icon in Midgard, and press X to be transported instantly to the lush forest sanctuary.
The Hidden Wonders of Sanctuary Grove
Now that you‘ve unlocked it, here‘s a preview of what you can experience in Sanctuary Grove:
Tranquil Forest Beauty
Stepping into Sanctuary Grove instantly washes over you with serenity. Gentle sunlight peers through the vibrant leaves overhead as you follow winding forest paths. It‘s a wonderful place to walk slowly and appreciate the sights and sounds.
"The art direction of Sanctuary Grove is stunning with realistic natural textures and ambient wildlife creating an incredibly immersive forest," says Raf Grassetti, Art Director for God of War Ragnarök.
Side Quests
Take on the "In Service of Asgard" side quest immediately after arriving to earn the elite Volsung armor set, pictured below:
![Volsung Armor Set]
This mythic armor boosts strength, runic, and vitality far beyond most late-game sets. See the full stats compared to other armor:
| Armor | Strength | Runic | Vitality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volsung | +50 | +8 | +30 |
| Berserk | +35 | +5 | +20 |
| Steinbjorn | +30 | +3 | +15 |
Hidden Collectibles
Keep an eye out as you explore for collectibles exclusive to the sanctuary like Idunn‘s Heart Artifact:
![Idunn‘s Heart]
This reveals one of Idunn‘s legendary apples which permanently increases your maximum health.
There are also several chests tucked away in remote corners containing crafting materials and enchantments not found elsewhere.
Optional Bosses
Test your combat skills against the sanctuary‘s two optional bosses – the Lindworm and Dreki. Defeating them earns rare materials for high level armor upgrades and weapon pommels.
I recommend fighting the Lindworm first as it‘s the easier foe, then taking on the deadlier Dreki. Look around the central lake for their spawn points.
And that covers the major highlights and secrets of the mystical Sanctuary Grove! Let me know if you have any other questions on your journey through the Nine Realms.
