Final Fantasy 16offers a wealth of challenges for those looking to get the most out of the in-depth combat system. Notorious Marks and Final Fantasy Mode require an expert-level understanding of combat to claim victory. If you’re still hungry for a challenge, look no further than the Kairos Gate.

The Rising Tide DLC offers a new combat-focused challenge with the Kairos Gate. Accessed through the Arete Stone, the Kairos gate is a series of bouts against enemies that get increasingly difficult as you continue. You’ll need to hone your skills with Eikonic abilities to clear each challenge and obtain the rewards exclusive to Kairos Gate.

A player standing near the Arete Stone as it emits a blue glow at The Hideaway in Final Fantasy 16.

How To Unlock Kairos Gate

Kairos Gate is unlockedafter completing the Rising Tide quest.After completing the quest, head back to The Hideaway and interact with the Arete Stone, and after the cutscene plays you must defeat a wave of enemies, and you’ll gain access to Kairos Gate;you’ll also be granted a portion of Ultima’s powers, unlocking even more Eikonic abilities to use in combat.

Tips For Kairos Gate

In Kairos Gate, you canuse any Eikonic Abilities you’ve already unlocked;however, youcan’t change your equipmentand are stuck using the equipment provided by Kairos Gate. PurchasingEnhancements and Boonswith Boon Points and Enhancement Pointsis the primary way to bolster your strength.

Each circle has a specific Target Timethat can be viewed from the menu during a bout. Completing a circle within the Target Time willreward you with additional BP.

A list of the available Boons in Kairos Gate, showing the Timely Boons all costing zero BP in Final Fantasy 16.

The Timely Strikes, Timely Evasion, Timely Focus, and Timely Assistance are the best Boonsavailable from the beginning.These Boonsgrant the same effect as theTimely Accessories, which can easily turn any battle into a cakewalk, andeach of the Timely Boons costs zero BP.

Using any of the Timely Boons will renderyourscore in Kairos Gate ineligible for the Global Leaderboard.

A list of each of the circles within Kairos Gate revealing enemy types and rewards for completion in Final Fantasy 16.

All Kairos Gate Circles

There are20 circles within the Kairos gateto complete, andeach circle contains several waves of enemiesthat you must defeat before you can move on. You also mustcomplete the entirety of Kairos Gate in a single attempt, leaving the Arete Stone will force you to start from the beginning.

Below is a list of each circle, the enemies you’ll encounter, and the rewards for completion:

Wave 1: Melee x5

Wave 2: Melee x5

Wave 3: Melee x5

Wave 2: Aerial x5

Wave 3: Melee x4

Wave 1: Melee x5, Aerial x2

Wave 3: Large x1

Wave 1: Large x1

Wave 2: Melee x3, Aerial x2

Wave 3: Large x1, Melee x2

Rhema x6

Wave 1: Melee x6

Wave 2: Ranged x5

Wave 3: Melee x6

Wave 2: Ranged x4, Aerial x2

Wave 2: Melee x4, Ranged x2

​​​​​​​Wave 3: Large x2

​​​​​​​Wave 3: Large x1, Melee x2

Wave 2: Melee x3, Ranged x2

​​​​​​​Wave 3: Melee x6

​​​​​​​Wave 3: Large x1, Melee x3

Wave 1: Large x1, Melee x3

Wave 2: Large x1, Melee x3

​​​​​​​Wave 3: S Rank x1

Wave 1: Melee x7

Wave 2: Melee x5, Ranged x2

​​​​​​​Wave 3: Large x1

Wave 1: Large x1, Melee x2

Wave 2: Melee x3, Ranged x4

Wave 1: Large x1, Ranged x2

Wave 2: Melee x4, Ranged x3

Wave 2: Large x1, Melee x4