Desperate Times is a linear night chapter that runs about 17 minutes, from the title card to the gates of Fort Vigil. Bravo Squad leads a group of civilians across the rooftops of the Golden Quarter while Private Garner keeps the survivors moving behind you. The route is fixed, but it packs five collectibles, five Hard Cases found along the way, and a handful of set-piece fights that each call for the right weapon.
Quick answer: Hold the main objective “Make your way to Fort Vigil”, clear each rooftop and interior before waving the civilians forward, and use the Gut-Puncher on every large target. The chapter ends when the civilians reach the fort and the gate seals behind you.
Starting weapons and objective order
You begin the chapter carrying a Frag Grenade, the Gut-Puncher, the Prototype Lancer, and the Snub. The Gut-Puncher is your answer to every big threat, and the Prototype Lancer handles the Drones in between. The convoy is lost on the bridge and the squad’s truck is wrecked, which is why everyone takes to the rooftops.
The main objective never changes. Fourteen sub-objectives appear and get struck out beneath it, in this order:
| # | Objective line |
|---|---|
| 1 | “Clear the rooftop” |
| 2 | “Escort the civilians through the buildings” |
| 3 | “Eliminate the Locust” |
| 4 | “Protect the Gears below” |
| 5 | “Escort the civilians through the buildings” |
| 6 | “Eliminate the Locust” |
| 7 | “Eliminate the Reaver” |
| 8 | “Clear the path to the bridge” |
| 9 | “Find a way down to the street” |
| 10 | “Eliminate the snipers” |
| 11 | “Find a way down to the street” |
| 12 | “Clear the crossroad” |
| 13 | “Get down to the street” |
| 14 | “Get the civilians across the bridge” |
“Clear the rooftop” opening fight
Drones hold the far side of the flat roof. Work the Prototype Lancer from behind the half-walls and air-conditioning units to thin them out.
Any group that refuses to leave cover takes a Gut-Puncher grenade. One round into the cluster clears the position quickly.
After the objective line is crossed off, take the wooden stairs on the right to reach the upper walkway. You’ll hit a checkpoint here.
Through the apartment: first collectible and Hard Case
Grab the ammo box left of the double doors at the end of the grated walkway, then go through. A “HARD CASE NEARBY” hint appears inside.
In the living room of the dark apartment, take A bottle of Iron Coast Beer off the floor beside the couch where the dead civilian lies. This is collectible 1 of 5.
In the hallway beyond, Wretches pour through the broken lath wall. Drop them with the rifle or melee.
“Eliminate the Locust” and “Protect the Gears below” on the antenna roof
Radio masts crowd the rooftop beyond the doors. Above the street, a hovering creature with a shadowy gas-bag torso, dangling tentacles, and a glowing belly rains explosives on the trapped Gears squad below. The objective switches to “Protect the Gears below” within seconds.
Continue firing the Lancer until the creature bursts apart and drops. When it directs fire at you, take cover behind the roof’s low walls.
Drones then climb onto the roof. Pick them off from the AC units; a Gnasher is sitting on one of them.
On the roof’s left, the second Hard Case is on the catwalk, behind the chain-link barrier and beside an ammo box. Clearing the rooftop crosses off the objective.
Hotel hallway: second collectible and Hard Case
Pass through the barred doors across the roof to reach a checkpoint, then follow the locker-lined corridor into a hotel hallway with red carpeting.
Wretches emerge through a breach in the wall and fall from overhead. Retreat and let them come down the corridor to you rather than advancing into them; this is the safest approach.
Keep your rifle ready as you enter the ruined side room through the hallway opening; something springs from the darkness.
Pick up the Portrait of Chairman Jacob Monroe, collectible 2 of 5, from the rubble-covered floor near the collapsed outer edge of the same room.
The string-lit terrace and the Reaver
Advance from the stone balustrades across the terrace, firing on the Drones positioned throughout. A Reaver flies overhead, though you won’t engage it yet. Use the EXECUTE prompt on downed Locust, and collect ammo from the bench beyond the first balustrade.
At the entrance to the bar and reception hall, heavier Locust hold the doorway. Stay behind the stone pillars and feed Gut-Puncher grenades into the doorway between their bursts. A Longshot lies on the floor inside the hall.
Once outside again, a Reaver touches down on the pergola and launches explosives from there. Take cover behind the stone balustrade, then rise to hit its body with Gut-Puncher grenades as your squad fires too. After about 20 seconds, it dies and explodes.
Garner calls out from the neighboring patio. Beside the overturned round table by the railing, pick up the Sanctum of the Fallen Memorial Ceremony Program, collectible 3 of 5.
“Clear the path to the bridge” and the balcony turret
After the checkpoint, leave the patio through its iron doors and step onto the ruined causeway. An ammo crate is positioned at the entrance.
Use the stone planter as cover while fighting Drones on the raised ruins. Then advance up the central stairs; more ammo is at the top.
A mounted machine gun sits on the broken balcony at the top, shown with a hand icon and a “Hold to Enter” prompt. Press B to dismount and Y to detach the gun. Detached, it carries 96 rounds — take it with you for the sniper fight ahead.
Deal with the remaining enemies on the causeway, pass through the EXIT doors onto the roof edge, and hold at the balustrade when prompted.
A scene shows the fort in sight. An explosive shot from the clock tower hits Sergeant Barnes’s position at the crossroads below, so the civilians stay in cover until the tower is dealt with.
“Eliminate the snipers”: the promenade and clock tower
A second “HARD CASE NEARBY” hint appears. Find the fifth Hard Case on the rooftop promenade, nestled between the red-flower planters.
Pick up the Locust Spiked Shoulder Pad, collectible 4 of 5, from the ground by a body at the balustrade near a lamppost, before the gate that gets kicked open.
Beyond the gate, ivy-clad stone arches form an arcade facing the clock tower. The prompt “Eliminate the snipers” appears, with a distance marker pointing to the nest. On the tower side, a Scorched Sniper, a fire-throwing Scorched Grenadier, and Drones are waiting.
Take cover behind the stone planters. If you brought the turret gun, fire it at the tower until it’s empty; it can reach that far. Without it, rely on the Lancer and Gut-Puncher. A Breechshot remains on the planter afterward.
“Eliminate the snipers” is struck out and “Find a way down to the street” returns, along with a checkpoint.
The tower, final collectible, and “Clear the crossroad”
Cross over to the tower and first climb the metal stairs UP to its open top level. There you’ll find a Torque Bow and ammo.
Beside the Torque Bow, a stone pedestal stands near spent shells. Pick up the Explosive Bolt, collectible 5 of 5, embedded in the floor there.
Descend to the balcony marked by the NO SMOKING sign. The objective “Clear the crossroad” appears. From the balcony rail, shoot the Elite Drones and other Locust positioned among the street taxis; your elevation keeps most of their fire from reaching you.
After killing them, the objective switches to “Get down to the street”. At the balcony edge, press X when the hand icon displays “Descend”.
Street level: the crossroads Reavers
Almost at once, a Reaver lands in the street. Take shelter beneath the stone arcade, using its pillars to stop its shots.
Additional Locust arrive with a second Reaver outside the shop bearing the sign “SUITS AND TUXEDOS”. Hold your position behind the sandbags and arcade pillars.
Squadmates can go down here. A green revive marker shows where. A checkpoint lands once the street is clear.
“Get the civilians across the bridge” to Fort Vigil
As Garner brings the civilians out, follow them beyond the COG truck and the ambulance, then pass through the blast gate, which stands open.
Abandoned vehicles clog the bridge as Reavers strafe it. Keep advancing along one side of the vehicles, and don’t stop to engage.
At the fort entrance, the objective is crossed out. A brief scene shuts the gate and moves the squad up to the wall; next, the Chapter 6: Desperate Measures title card appears. The chapter is complete.
Collectible locations (5 total)
Hold X over an item when the “PICK UP” prompt appears. The five items are at the locations described above.
| # | Collectible | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A bottle of Iron Coast Beer | Dark apartment: in the living room, beside the couch where the dead civilian lies |
| 2 | Portrait of Chairman Jacob Monroe | Hotel side room, rubble floor near the collapsed outer edge |
| 3 | Sanctum of the Fallen Memorial Ceremony Program | Garner’s patio, beside the overturned round table by the railing |
| 4 | Locust Spiked Shoulder Pad | Promenade: beside a body at the balustrade, close to a lamppost |
| 5 | Explosive Bolt | Tower top level, in the floor beside the Torque Bow and stone pedestal |
Hard Case locations (5 found on this route)
A “HARD CASE NEARBY” hint appears ahead of every case. Consult the full Hard Case list to see what each one contains.
- Inside the dark apartment, alongside the first collectible
- On the antenna roof catwalk, the case is behind the chain-link fence, beside an ammo box
- Hotel side room, on a cabinet under the lit painting
- At the far railing of Garner’s patio, a yellow case rests against the iron fence
- Rooftop promenade, in the gap between the red-flower planters
