You've seen them. Those glowing, turquoise cages sitting in the middle of a flowery field or tucked behind a massive jagged rock under the sea. If you’ve spent any time in the Hydro nation, you know that a Genshin Fontaine Shrine of Depths isn't just a pretty landmark; it’s basically a massive loot crate waiting to be cracked open.
But here’s the thing. Getting the keys is a grind. Finding the actual shrines? That’s a whole different headache, especially when half of them are buried under thousands of tons of digital seawater.
Fontaine changed the game for HoYoverse. Before 4.0, we just ran across grassy plains in Mondstadt or climbed annoying cliffs in Liyue. Now, we’re diving. The verticality of the Fontaine map is honestly staggering. You might be standing right on top of a map icon and see nothing but fish and seaweed because the shrine is actually three "floors" below you in a hidden cave system.
Why You Actually Need These Shrines
Let’s be real for a second. We’re all here for the Primogems. Each shrine gives you 40 of them. With ten shrines currently scattered across the various patches of Fontaine—from the Court of Fontaine to the Morte Region—that’s 400 Primogems just sitting there. That is a decent chunk of a ten-pull.
Aside from the gambling currency, you’re getting Luxuriant Chests. These are the gold standard. You get 10 Hydro Sigils per chest, which you’ll desperately need to feed the Fountain of Lucine. If you want those Crown of Insight rewards or the free Fates, you cannot skip these. Plus, the Mystic Enhancement Ore and the 4-star artifacts are great fodder for leveling up your better gear.
The Key Problem: How to Get Fontaine Shrine of Depths Keys
You can't just pick a lock with a rogue character. You need specific keys. In Fontaine, there are two main ways to get them, and neither of them is particularly "fast."
First, you’ve got the Statue of the Seven. You have to collect Hydroculi. Sounds easy? It's not. There are hundreds of them. As you level up the Statue, you’ll receive keys at specific intervals. It’s a slow burn. You’ll find yourself scouring the heights of the Fontaine Research Institute or the depths of the Meropide underwater zones just to get that one last Oculi for a level-up.
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Second, there’s the Fountain of Lucine. This is Fontaine’s version of the Sacred Sakura or the Tree of Dreams. You dump your Hydro Sigils here. Every few levels, the fountain spits out a key. Honestly, it feels a bit like a chore, but when you see that blue glow in the distance, you’ll be glad you did the busywork.
Locating the Surface Shrines
Some are easy. Some are "why did they put it here" hard.
Take the one in the Elynas region. It’s just sitting there on a ridge. If you teleport to the nearby waypoint and look toward the mountain, you’ll see it. It’s refreshing. You just walk up, click the button, and profit.
Then there’s the one near the Court of Fontaine. It’s north of the main city, tucked away in the plains. It’s one of those spots where you might be distracted by a local legend boss or a random puzzle, but the shrine is the real prize.
The newest ones in the Morte Region and Erinnyes Forest require a bit more legwork. One is perched on a cliffside that looks out over the water. It’s scenic. It’s also a pain to climb if you don’t have Wanderer or Kazuha, but that’s just Genshin life.
The Underwater Nightmare
This is where people get lost. Navigating the underwater map is confusing because the "layers" don’t always translate well to the 2D mini-map.
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There’s a Genshin Fontaine Shrine of Depths located in the Elton Trench. To get there, you have to dive deep. Like, really deep. Look for a massive depression in the seabed. You’ll see the faint glow through the murky water. Pro tip: use a character with high HP like Neuvillette or Furina just in case you accidentally aggro some of those tanky underwater rays.
Another one is hidden in the Salacia Plain. It’s not just "in the water"—it’s tucked into a rock formation. If you aren’t looking for the specific architecture of the shrine, you’ll swim right past it thinking it’s just another ruin.
Common Misconceptions About Fontaine Shrines
I’ve seen people online complaining that they can’t find the 11th or 12th shrine. Stop looking. As of the current version, Fontaine follows the standard 10-shrine limit per nation. If you’ve opened ten, you’re done. There are no secret "hidden" ones unless HoYoverse decides to break their own pattern in a future expansion, which they haven't done since the game launched.
Another thing: people think you can "cheese" the keys. You can't. You can't buy them from the souvenir shop with Sigils until you’ve maximized the Fountain of Lucine anyway. There are no quests that give them as direct rewards either. It is strictly tied to exploration and collection.
Navigating the Morte Region
The Morte Region shrines are arguably the most annoying because the topography is so messy. One is located south of the Sealed Ruin area. You’ll likely find it while doing the "Search in the Algae Sea" questline.
Speaking of quests, some shrines are technically accessible before you do the big world quests, but it’s a lot harder. Doing the "Ann of the Narzissenkreuz" or "Ancient Colors" questlines usually naturally leads you past these areas. It’s better to combine your shrine hunting with these long-form stories so you don't feel like you're just running errands.
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Actionable Steps for Completionists
If you want to clear these out today, here is exactly how to do it efficiently.
Start by checking your inventory. See how many keys you actually have. There is nothing worse than trekking to a remote underwater cave only to realize you’re zeroed out on keys. If you’re short, go hunting for Hydroculi. Use the Resonance Stone if you have to—it’s worth the materials.
Open your map and switch to the "underwater" view. Most players forget this exists. It toggles the layers so you can see the seabed clearly. Mark the locations of the shrines you haven’t visited yet.
Focus on one region at a time. Don't teleport back and forth. Clear Elynas, then the Court, then move to the underwater trenches.
Lastly, bring a team that can move. Fontaine is big. If you're on land, Yelan or Lynette are amazing for sprinting. Underwater, it doesn't matter who you have, but having a character with a "swimming speed" passive (like Neuvillette or Freminet) will save you minutes of tedious clicking.
Once you’ve unlocked all ten, you can finally stop worrying about those blue icons and focus on the real end-game: trying to roll a decent crit-damage circlet that doesn't go entirely into flat defense. Good luck with that. You'll need it.