You're standing in a damp Karnaca alleyway, staring at a reinforced door. Behind it sits a hoard of whale bone charms, upgraded crossbow bolts, and maybe a blueprint that’ll make your springrazors twice as deadly. But you're broke. Or maybe you're just doing a "No Money" run. Either way, you need that black market key Dishonored 2 uses to gatekeep its best gear.
Stealing is often better than buying. Honestly, in the world of Dunwall and Karnaca, it’s practically encouraged.
The game doesn't just hand these keys over. Arkane Studios loves to hide them behind physics puzzles, pickpocketing opportunities, or environmental storytelling that you’ll miss if you’re just sprinting to the next objective marker. Getting into these shops without paying a single coin is a meta-game in itself. It’s about outsmarting the level designers.
The Edge of the World: Your first heist
In Mission 2, you arrive at the Edge of the World. The Black Market is tucked away, and the shopkeeper is smug. You could buy his stuff, but why?
To get the first black market key Dishonored 2 offers, you have to head toward the canal. Look for the building with the "Condemned due to Infestation" signs. Bloodflies. Lots of them. If you go to the upper floors, you’ll find a corpse of a character named Mindy Blanchard’s associate. But the real prize is the woman in the back of the building who’s trying to get into the shop herself.
She has a plan. You can intercept it.
The key isn't on her, though. It’s actually located in the back of the shop, but you can't get there from the front. You need to climb through a window in the alley, find the room with the fish crates, and look for a small hole. If you use Foresight (if you're playing DOTO) or just clever positioning and a crossbow bolt to break a wooden plank, you can get in. Wait—wrong game. In Dishonored 2, for this specific shop, you actually need to find the flat above it.
Go to the top floor of the building where the woman is complaining. There's a way to drop down into the back storage area through a hidden vent or by breaking a specific window. Once you're in, the key is sitting on a desk. Take it. The shopkeeper will be terrified. It’s great.
The Clockwork Mansion and the Upper Aventane key
Kirinstosh Jindosh is a genius, but the people living near his mansion are just desperate. In Mission 4, the Black Market is near the start of the level. This one is a bit more of a classic "find the hidden path" scenario.
You’ll notice the shop is heavily barred.
To get this black market key Dishonored 2 players often overlook, you need to head to the nearby apartment building that’s been taken over by the Howlers. There's a woman named Paolo’s crony waiting nearby. If you go to the very top floor, you’ll find a crawlspace. This leads to the back of the shop.
However, there’s a twist here. The key is actually tucked behind a breakable wooden pallet in the basement area of that same building. Most people walk right past it because they’re looking for a silver key or something shiny. It’s a rusty, unassuming thing. Once you have it, you can enter the shop through the side door.
✨ Don't miss: Dead Island 2 PS5: Why It’s Actually Better Than We Expected
Just a heads up: if you rob too many shops, the game knows.
The Royal Conservatory: A bit of a climb
Mission 5 is dense. Breanna Ashworth is busy with her occult rituals, leaving the local shopkeeper vulnerable. This is probably the most "hidden" black market key Dishonored 2 has.
First, go to the Black Market. You’ll see it’s protected by a gate. You can't pick the lock.
You need to get into the apartment building directly across from the shop. Go to the top floor. You’ll find a note about a wedding or a secret meeting. This is environmental storytelling at its best. The note hints that the key is being kept "where the laundry hangs."
Go out onto the balcony. Look for a series of pipes. You’ll need to Blink or Reach across to a small, isolated balcony that looks like it leads nowhere. Inside that tiny room is a desk. The key is in the drawer.
Pro tip: If you’re doing a "Clean Hands" run, robbing the shop doesn't count as a kill, obviously. But if the shopkeeper sees you, he might call the guards. Use a sleep dart if you’re feeling lazy, but staying crouched is usually enough.
The Dust District: Chaos and keys
In Mission 6, the world is a mess. Sandstorms everywhere. This makes finding the black market key Dishonored 2 rewards you with even harder because visibility is zero every thirty seconds.
The shop is in a neutral zone.
To get in, you have to find the shopkeeper’s apartment. It’s not in the same building. You have to travel down the street toward the Overseer outpost. Look for a door blocked by wooden planks. Break them. Inside, you’ll find a note. The note explains that the key is hidden behind a loose brick in the alleyway behind the shop.
📖 Related: Human or AI: Chat Game and Why We Are Honestly Bad at Telling the Difference
Go back to the shop. Go around the back.
There’s a small crawlspace. Use a grenade or a whale oil tank to blow open the weak wall if you don't want to find the brick. Actually, scratch that—don't waste a grenade. Just find the brick. It's near the trash cans. Once you're inside, you can loot the place. This shop usually has some of the best blueprints for the late game, especially if you’re into upgrading your pistol.
A Crack in the Slab: No shops, no problems?
Wait. Mission 7 doesn't have a Black Market. It’s all about the past and the present.
But Mission 8, The Grand Palace, definitely does.
This is the big one. The shop is located in a basement area near the start. To get the black market key Dishonored 2 features here, you need to go to the delivery boat. It’s docked nearby. The captain of the boat has a note. The note says the shopkeeper is paranoid and hid the key in the apartment above the shop.
Go to the apartment. It’s infested with Gravehounds.
Seriously, bring fire bolts. Once you clear the dogs, look under the bed. No, I’m serious. It’s literally under the bed. It’s such a trope, but it works because everyone is looking for a safe or a lockbox. Grab it, head back down, and empty the shelves.
The consequences of your greed
Robbing these shops isn't just about getting free stuff. It changes the game.
If you rob more than two Black Markets, the final mission will be different. The shopkeepers are part of a loose guild. They talk. By the time you reach Mission 9, Death to the Empress, the Black Market there will be heavily guarded. They might even hire mercenaries to wait for you inside.
👉 See also: Finding All the Statues for Far Cry 6 Painting the Town Without Losing Your Mind
Is it worth it?
Usually, yes. The amount of coin you save is astronomical. You can put that money toward the "Masterwork" upgrades that you can't steal. You can't steal the labor of a master craftsman, after all.
Actionable steps for your next run
If you're planning to hunt down every black market key Dishonored 2 hides, follow these specific steps to ensure you don't lock yourself out of content:
- Check the back windows first: Almost every Black Market has a visible "back area" you can see through a small window or grate. Use your spyglass to see what's inside before you commit to finding the key.
- Save your whale oil: Many secret entrances to these shops are blocked by wooden debris or weak walls. A well-placed whale oil canister is a silent (ish) way to get through without using your precious grenades.
- Read every "Discarded Note": Arkane hides the location of keys in the mundane text of the world. If a note mentions a "delivery" or a "lost item," that’s your cue.
- Watch the shopkeeper's routine: Sometimes you don't even need a key. If you wait long enough or trigger a specific event, the shopkeeper might walk to the back to check on a noise. That’s your window to Blink in.
- Prioritize blueprints: If you're robbing a shop, grab the blueprints first. They are the only items that carry a permanent benefit to your gear's ceiling.
The beauty of this game is that it doesn't punish you for being a thief—it just makes the world respond to it. Now go get those keys and stop paying full price for your Sleep Darts.