'God of War' Ciphers: How to Unlock Muspelheim and Niflheim

The main story of God of War sees Kratos and his son Atreus travel between various realms in Norse mythology. While you only need to travel to a handful during the main journey, a couple of realms can be unlocked after the story is complete. Muspelheim and Niflheim house some very tough sidequests for Kratos to complete. Both house a Valkyrie, so if you want to complete that favor, you'll need to travel to these worlds.

But how do you unlock Muspelheim and Niflheim? Using Atreus' gift of language, players will need to find Ciphers gain access to both realms.

God of war Muspelheim map
The map of Muspelheim in 'God of War' PlayStation

MUSPELHEIM

Muspelheim is the realm of fire, which houses a massive volcano and some very tough enemies. There are seven chests containing the Muspelheim Cipher, but players only need four of them. Once four are collected, the remaining chests will contain random enchantments for Kratos to use in battle. Head to Tyr's Tower to access this new realm.

Here are the locations of all seven Muspelheim Cipher chests.

  • Lake of Nine: Cliff of the Raven - On the beach with the dead troll, dock your boat and find some breakable boards that will be hiding a small hole. Have Atreus crawl in and drop the chain from above. Climb the chain and open the Cipher Chest.
  • Lake of Nine: Forgotten Caverns - On the main beach, climb a chain on the north side to find a Cipher Chest.
  • Foothills - At the start of the Foothills (before Sindri's Shop). Find a Scorn Pole that sits next to a Lore Marker. The Cipher Chest will be to the left of it.
  • Alfheim - Travel to Alfheim and take the bridge. At the end of the bridge, where it splits, take the right path to find a Cipher Chest.
  • The Mountain - Head to the Mountain Summit where you first meet Mimir. Descend the steps toward the Mystic Gateway. To the left will be a Cipher Chest.
  • Lake of Nine: Muspelheim Tower - Climb Lookout Tower and slide down the zipline to reach the area behind Muspelheim Tower. Climb the boards to find the Cipher Chest. This can only be done after the second water drop.
  • The River Pass - Travel to the Witch's Basement and ride the elevator up the cavern. Use a Shock Arrow on a nearby Shatter Crystal and enter the room where a Cipher Chest is waiting.
God of war Niflheim map
The map of Niflheim PlayStation

NIFLHEIM

Niflheim is the realm of fog and in God of War , and this mist there is very dangerous to breathe. Like Muspelheim, there are seven Cipher Chest locations, but you only need to find four. Once you've collected them, head to Tyr's Tower to access the new realm.

Here are the location of all seven Cipher Chests for Niflheim.

  • Lake of Nine - Head to the beach near the Alfheim Realm Tower and detonate a Shatter Crystal with your Shock Arrows. Climb the ledge and to the right should be a Cipher Chest.
  • Lake of Nine: Ruins of the Ancient - The northwest corner of the lake houses a beach where a Soul Devourer roams. A Cipher Chest will be here.
  • Lake of Nine: Lookout Tower - Dock at the Lookout Tower after the second water drop and head east. Find the paddles that stop the spikes blocking the route. Hit the paddles four times to disable the spikes, leading to a Cipher Chest.
  • Mountain Summit - Reach Sindri's Shop and you'll see Cipher Chest just ahead.
  • The Hall of Tyr - During the main story, Kratos will have to flip the Realm Travel Room by breaking two chains. Go down the right wing until you reach the chain, where the Cipher Chest can be found against the far wall.
  • The Hall of Tyr - This is similar to finding the location above, but for the left wing. Go through the hall, disabling traps along the way, until you reach the end room where the Chest is against the far wall.
  • Inside Serpent - During the main story, you will explore inside the giant Serpent. After finding the missing eye, zipline down and look to the left, where a chest sits on a platform. Jump to it to grab the Cipher.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Phillip Martinez is a game and culture reporter for Newsweek. Prior to joining Newsweek in 2018, he was a reporter ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go