Mortal Shell 2: How to Unlock Night Mode

Night Mode is an optional difficulty toggle in Mortal Shell 2 that makes enemies far deadlier while paying out more Gloom. It also opens a handful of spots that only appear after dark, so anyone chasing full completion has to switch it on at least once. Unlocking it takes one key item and a short trip to the top of your main hub.

Quick answer: Take the Gloombound Flame from the Great Arbiter of Flesh arena near the Widow’s Overlook beacon in Fainweald, carry it to the top of Marrow Keep, light the extinguished lantern there, then tell the summoned NPC Thestus to “Call forth the Night.” You can turn it back off with him at any time.

What Night Mode changes in Mortal Shell 2

Night Mode is a high-risk, high-reward setting. Enemies hit harder and soak up far more punishment, but they also drop more resources, which makes it useful for farming once you can survive the extra pressure. It is best saved for when you already understand the game’s combat and have upgraded your weapons and sidearms.

Change	Effect
Enemy health	Roughly doubled (about +100%)
Enemy damage	Roughly doubled (about +100%)
Enemy speed	Increased for some foes
Gloom rewards	Higher per kill (about +20%)
Environment	Darkened surroundings, occasional extra spawns and hazards

The stat figures are approximate, but the practical takeaway is simple. A single strike from an elite can drop you to critical health, and enemies that used to fall in two hits now shrug off far more. In return, every kill feeds your leveling faster.

Get the Gloombound Flame near Widow’s Overlook

Open your map and fast travel to the Widow’s Overlook beacon in the Fainweald region. This is your starting point for the whole unlock and the closest safe spawn to the key item.

Map screen highlighting the Widow's Overlook beacon in Fainweald — The map centered on the Widow’s Overlook beacon, your fast-travel point for the Gloombound Flame. Image credit: Cold Symmetry

From the beacon, head down the sloping path into a muddy, southeast area filled with gravestones. This is the arena where the Great Arbiter of Flesh (also seen as the Arbitrator of Flesh) roams.

Armored character running toward a glowing tree with weapon and health HUD visible — Moving through the arena grounds near the beacon on the way to the flame. Image credit: Cold Symmetry

Look for the glowing item resting on a carved stone stele or pillar beside the miniboss. Run up and grab the Gloombound Flame, then retreat. You do not have to defeat the Great Arbiter of Flesh, though killing it grants extra rewards and makes the grab safer.

Light the lantern at Marrow Keep and summon Thestus

With the flame in your inventory, fast travel back to Marrow Keep, your main hub. Take the central elevator up to the top of the tower.

At the top, find the extinguished lantern or brazier and interact with it. When the prompt asks you to use the Gloombound Flame, select “Yes” to light it.

Lighting the lantern summons Thestus, the NPC who controls the day and night toggle. Speak with him and exhaust his dialogue until you get the “Call forth the Night” option, then confirm.

Character approaching a hooded NPC beside a lit brazier and chest atop Marrow Keep — Thestus appears beside the lit brazier at the top of Marrow Keep once the flame is used. Image credit: Cold Symmetry

You will know it worked when the screen briefly blacks out and shows a “Night Summoned” transition. The world turns foggy and dark, and enemies immediately start dealing much heavier damage.

Switch back to daytime

Night Mode is fully reversible. Return to Thestus atop Marrow Keep at any point and choose “Seek Daylight” to return to standard difficulty. The prompt confirms with a “Daylight Summoned” transition, and the setting can be flipped as often as you like.

Tip: Because the flame permanently lights the lantern, you only have to complete the retrieval once. After that, the toggle is always available through Thestus.

Content that only appears during Night Mode

Some areas stay sealed until you switch to night. Watch for shrines carrying the riddle “By the light of day, the truth remains sealed. And yet in darkness all shall be revealed,” which marks a secret that only reveals itself after dark. A few fixed locations also change, and reaching them is required for full completion.

Location	What appears at night
Shrine of Sorrows	A night-only first-person dungeon near Mushroom Village
Abandoned Outpost	The Collector merchant, selling exclusive Tarstones and a Blackmarrow Key
Forgotten Tower	A shadowy figure that trades the Thawed, Depleted, and Faded Gland for the Seedbearer’s Scripture

A practical routine is to clear an area in daylight, then flip to Night Mode to sweep up the extra encounters, merchants, and hidden rewards before switching back. That keeps the tougher fights optional while still letting you grab everything locked behind the dark.