FF16 Kairos Gate: Everything You Need To Know

Kairos Gate is a brand-new game mode that arrived at FF116 during the launch of The Rising Tide. In this guide, we will cover how to unlock the game mode, the game mode’s basics, as well as the rewards that players can get from playing.

How To Unlock Kairos Gate In FF16

Unlocking Kairos Gate in FF16 is very easy. After finishing the main story of The Rising Tide, players will receive a prompt to return to the Hideaway and check on the Arete Stone. Upon interacting with the Arete Stone (which is currently releasing a sinister aura), players will be dragged into a cutscene.

Ultima will confront Clive inside of the Arete Stone, giving him access to Ultima Eikonic Abilities. Afterward, after Clive defies him, Ultima will drag him deeper down, which unlocks the Kairos Gate game mode.

After these cutscenes (and the tutorial for Ultima’s abilities), players will be able to select Kairos Gate whenever they interact with the Arete Stone. It’s free to access the Kairos gate game mode, so players can take their time with it.

FF16 Kairos Gate Basics

As mentioned above, Kairos Gate is an FF16 roguelike mode. Kairos Gate consists of 20 levels or Circles, that players need to clear. Clearing each Circle gives the player a first-time clear reward, as well as a repeating reward.

Each circle the player enters has them fighting against waves of enemies, consisting of either ground enemies, aerial enemies, or a mix of enemies. Now and then, players will also have to face against enemies with a stagger bar, adding some challenge to the mix.

Additionally, every five levels, there is a boss enemy that the player must defeat, culminating in a big boss fight on Circle 20. These boss fights are more difficult than the enemy waves, so players will have to plan accordingly.

There is, of course, a catch. As mentioned above, this is a roguelike mode. Players can’t just bring their max-level character to the game and clear every level with ease. Their character’s level and gear are locked, so the playing field is level for everyone who plays this game mode.

Not only that, but players also cannot use potions. Thankfully, the players will still be accompanied by Torgal, giving them a source of healing in fights. Players will also heal a certain percentage of their HP in between Circles. That means that players will also need to manage their HP while traversing down Circles.

Now that we’re done with the basics, let’s go to the specifics, starting with the pre-battle preparation.

FF16 Kairos Gate Pre-Battle Preparations

Before each Circle, players will be able to prepare for their fights. They can do so by buying various Enhancements and Boons, as well as by fixing their Ability loadout. Let’s start with Enhancements and Boons.

Enhancements are the permanent upgrades that players can receive while going through Kairos Gate. This includes upgrades such as increased HP, increased attack damage, upgraded Eikon Ability damage, and more. These upgrades will carry from Circle to Circle, but will reset should the player die or exit Kairos Gate.

Boons, on the other hand, are temporary boosts that make fights easier for the player. This includes improving health regen, increasing the amount of points players get, and more.

Players get a certain number of Enhancement and Boon points after clearing each Circle, allowing them to purchase upgrades to make their fights easier.

Now, let’s talk about the Ability Loadout.

Although the player’s level and equipment loadout are locked, their Eikonic Abilities are not. Players can freely choose whichever three Eikons they want to bring into battle, as well as whatever ability they want to bring in. This is the main source of customization for the player, allowing them to adjust based on what they need.

For example, if a Circle has Aerial enemies, they can choose to bring Garuda, which allows them to pull enemies down to the ground. If they’re fighting a strong mini-boss, they can switch it out for Titan, letting them block attacks. The possibilities are endless.

Once the player is done with their preparation, they can then dive into a Circle and fight. Once the fight is over, they will be returned to the Pre-Battle Interface, and this repeats until the player either completes Kairos Gate or loses.

FF16 Kairos Gate Stages and Rewards Guide

As mentioned above, there are a total of 20 Circles for players to defeat, each with their waves of enemies and rewards. Below are the enemies that stages have to face, as well as the reward that they can receive upon beating said Circle:

The Radiant Weapons are glowing versions of their non-Radiant counterparts. Their stats are comparatively low to weapons the player currently has, so they are mostly for cosmetic purposes rather than for powerups.

The important Kairos Gate rewards here are the Creator accessories, which empower the Ultima abilities, as well as the Eludium, which can be used to craft the new armors that arrived in FF16 alongside The Rising Tide.

That’s all for our guide for everything you need to know about the new FF16 Kairos Gate game mode, from how to unlock it to its various stages and rewards. The Rising Tide DLC is available either on its own or as part of the FFXVI Expansion pass. Check out our gaming news articles for the latest in gaming news.