You're running through the Desorrock Highland or maybe chilling near the Port City of Guixu, and you see them. Those glowing, translucent blocks just sitting there. They look like giant popsicles left out in the sun, but they aren't melting. You try to hit them. Nothing. You try to jump on them. Still nothing. If you've spent any real time in Solaris-3, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The Wuthering Waves fill in the missing ice cube puzzles—or "Ice Cube" puzzles as the community has collectively dubbed them—are one of those open-world chores that seem easy until you're staring at a gap in a grid wondering if you're overthinking it.
Usually, you are.
These puzzles are officially part of the "Magnetic Cube" or "Levitator" puzzle family. The game doesn't explicitly call them "ice cubes," but because they’re blue, frosty, and come in neat little squares, the name stuck. Most players run into the first real head-scratcher near the Thorny Passage or within the industrial ruins. The goal is dead simple: move the stray cubes into the empty slots of a pre-defined pattern. But because the movement physics in WuWa can be a bit floaty, and the camera angle sometimes hides the actual solution, people get stuck. It happens.
Why the Wuthering Waves Fill in the Missing Ice Cube Puzzles Trip People Up
It's the Levitator tool. That's the culprit.
In Wuthering Waves, your Utility slot is basically your best friend or your worst enemy depending on the day. To solve any Wuthering Waves fill in the missing ice cube challenge, you have to equip the Levitator. You find a stray cube—usually tucked behind a breakable rock or sitting on a nearby ledge—and "pick it up" with the utility.
Here is where the frustration starts.
The cubes don't just snap into place like LEGO bricks. They have weight. If you're standing too close to the target grid, the cube might clip through the ground or bounce off the edge. If you're too far, you can't aim the throw accurately. I’ve seen players spend ten minutes trying to "soft-toss" a cube into a hole only for it to slide across the floor like a greased pig. Honestly, the trick isn't in the aim; it's in the alignment.
The game wants symmetry. If you see a 3x3 grid with two cubes missing on the left side, look for two cubes nearby. They aren't going to be miles away. Usually, they are within a 20-meter radius. Sometimes they’re hidden under "Fracture Rock" (those rocks with the glowing orange veins), which means you need to find an Explosive Charge or use a heavy attack to break the environment first.
The Hidden Mechanics of the Grid
Not every "ice cube" is a stand-alone object. Some of these puzzles require you to hit a specific switch to unlock the "grab" function on the cube itself. If you're standing over a cube and the Levitator prompt isn't showing up, you're missing a step. Look for a pressure plate. Or look for a group of enemies nearby. Kuro Games loves to leash puzzle mechanics to "Clear the Area" triggers.
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You kill the Exiles, the cubes unlock, and then you can play Tetris.
The grid itself usually glows when a cube is correctly placed. If it’s not glowing, the cube isn't "in." It’s just "near." You have to get that satisfying click and the change in visual aura to know you’ve progressed.
Tracking Down the Hardest Cube Locations
Most players breeze through the early-game puzzles in the Central Plains. Those are basically tutorials. But once you hit the later regions, especially the areas around the Tiger's Maw Mine or the Desorrock Highland, the Wuthering Waves fill in the missing ice cube puzzles get mean.
Take the puzzle near the resonance beacon in the north of Desorrock. There’s a cube hidden behind a destructible wall that isn't even in the same line of sight as the grid. You have to climb a small cliff, grab the cube, and drop down without accidentally canceling your Levitator charge. If you dash too fast, you drop the cube. If you take damage from a stray Tacet Discord, you drop the cube. It’s a test of patience more than a test of IQ.
Another "fun" one involves the cubes that are suspended in mid-air or held by mechanical cranes. You can’t just grab these. You often have to find a remote terminal to lower the crane or use a different gadget to bridge the gap.
Pro-Tip: The "Reset" Trick
Sometimes the physics engine just gives up. It’s a common thing in high-fidelity Unreal Engine 4 games. If your cube gets stuck inside a wall or falls into a bottomless pit, don't panic. You don't have to restart the game. Just teleport to the nearest Resonance Beacon and walk back. The puzzle state usually resets the position of the movable objects while keeping your progress on the ones you already slotted in.
Saves a lot of yelling at the screen.
Rewards: Is It Worth the Hassle?
Why are we doing this? Astrite. Obviously.
Solving a Wuthering Waves fill in the missing ice cube puzzle almost always grants a Standard Supply Chest or a Mid-tier Chest. This means 10 to 20 Astrite, some Union Level EXP, and a handful of Shell Credits. If you’re a F2P (Free to Play) player, these are non-negotiable. You need every scrap of currency for those limited-time banners.
But there’s a secondary benefit.
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Completing these puzzles contributes to your "Exploration Progress" for each sub-region. Getting that progress to 100% rewards you with massive chunks of Astrite and materials from the Pioneer Association in Jinzhou. If you're stuck at 98% in a region and you can't find that last bit of progress, it's almost certainly a hidden cube puzzle or a stray blobfly you missed.
Common Misconceptions About the Cubes
I've seen people in Discord chats claiming you need a specific element to move the ice cubes. Like, "Oh, you need Sanhua because she's Glacio."
Nope.
Total myth. The "ice" is just an aesthetic choice to fit the "Resonance" theme of the world. Any character can solve these. Whether you're maining Jiyan, Rover, or Chixia, the Levitator works exactly the same. Don't waste time swapping your team around thinking it’s an elemental puzzle. It’s a physics puzzle, plain and simple.
Another thing: people think the cubes are time-limited once you pick them up. They aren't. You can hold a cube with the Levitator for as long as you want, provided you don't enter combat or try to swim. Take your time. Line up the shot.
Master the Levitator Aim
If you’re on mobile, God bless you. Aiming the Levitator for a Wuthering Waves fill in the missing ice cube solution is significantly harder with touch controls. The "aim" button is tiny, and the sensitivity is often cranked way too high by default.
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If you're struggling:
- Go into your settings.
- Lower the "Aiming Sensitivity" specifically.
- Use the "drop" function instead of the "throw" function.
If you stand directly over the slot and just tap the Utility button again, the character will usually just set the cube down at their feet. This is way more reliable than trying to Kobe a glowing block into a hole from ten feet away.
On PC, it’s a different story. Use the 'T' key to activate and 'G' or left-click to place. It’s snappy. It’s fast. But even then, the collision boxes can be finicky.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Puzzle
Next time you see an empty grid in the wild, don't just run past it. Those 20 Astrites add up fast. Follow this mental checklist to clear the puzzle in under 60 seconds:
- Scan the high ground: Cubes are almost never on the same level as the grid. Look up at nearby pillars or rooftops.
- Check for orange glow: If a cube is "encased" in stone, look for an explosive barrel or use a broadblade character's heavy attack to smash the Fracture Rock.
- Identify the pattern: Most grids are symmetrical. If the right side has three cubes in a 'L' shape, the left side probably needs the same.
- Clear the mobs: Don't try to solve the puzzle while being chased by wolves. The moment you take a hit, the cube resets to its spawn point. It’s infuriating.
- Use the "Drop" method: Stop throwing the cubes. Walk to the empty slot, look down, and deactivate the Levitator. It will fall perfectly into place 90% of the time.
If you're still having trouble finding a specific cube for a Wuthering Waves fill in the missing ice cube challenge, use the Sensor (another Utility tool). The Sensor highlights interactable objects in orange. It works through walls. It works through floors. It is the ultimate "cheat code" for finding that one missing block that some developer decided to hide behind a bush.
Solaris-3 is a massive place, and Kuro Games likes to hide these puzzles in the most vertical spots imaginable. Keep your eyes up, keep your Levitator ready, and stop overcomplicating the geometry. It’s just a box in a hole. You’ve got this.