In Mortal Shell 2, some paths in the game world are blocked by large masses of black tendrils. Interacting with these blockages gives the error message “This path is blocked by corruption. Once enough ova are collected, the Gloom Siphon will distill a vapor to cleanse the path.”
However, the game does not tell players exactly how many Ova they need to collect in order to reach this threshold, resulting in some confusion about when this cleansing ability will unlock. Here’s the breakdown.
How to Cleanse Corruption in Mortal Shell 2
Image via GameRant; Source: Cold Symmetry
Image via GameRant; Source: Cold Symmetry
To cleanse corruption blockages in Mortal Shell 2, you need the Mether’s Breath ability. To unlock this, you need to collect 7-8 Ova, return to Marrow Keep, and interact with the Gloom Siphon in the Ova Nursery.
If enough Ova were collected when you used the Gloom Siphon, you’ll instantly unlock the Mether’s Breath, which is an item that grants you the ability to cleanse corruption and fast travel between beacons and the various rooms in the Marrow Keep.
Image via GameRant; Source: Cold Symmetry
Image via GameRant; Source: Cold Symmetry
Once you have the Mether’s Breath in your inventory, return to wherever you found the black corruption blocking the path and interact with it by pressing and holding the prompt. The blockage will be removed instantly, and you’ll find that a new path is now open.
Where to Find Ova?
Ova can be obtained by cleansing beacons and clearing corrupted gates in Mortal Shell 2. In the early game, you get 3 Ova for fully completing the tutorial. The remaining 4-5 Ova can be collected by cleansing beacons you find in the game world.
Regular beacons each reward you with 1 Ova when you cleanse them; beacons next to Corrupted Gates give you 3 Ova, and clearing an entire gate and the final boss gives you 26 Ova. For the purposes of unlocking the Mether’s Breath function, I’d suggest cleansing the easiest-to-get-to beacons in the northern part of the map (use the screenshot above as a reference).
Mortal Shell II
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85/100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- August 20, 2026
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Cold Symmetry
- Publisher(s)
- Playstack
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike, Action RPG, Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
