Let’s be real—staring at a locked keypad in the middle of a digital sandstorm is a specific kind of frustration. You've been wandering the Great Desert in Stellar Blade, Eve’s boots are caked in dust, and you finally find a crate that looks like it holds something decent. Then, the prompt hits: "Enter Passcode."
If you’re like me, you probably tried a few random combinations before realizing Shift Up didn't make this easy. The Great Desert is arguably the most overwhelming zone in the game. It’s huge. It’s empty. And the clues for these codes are often tucked away behind a shipping container or inside a pipe three miles away.
Honestly, the "Recruit Passcode Specialists" quest is the biggest offender. It sends you on a scavenger hunt across multiple regions just to open one container back in the Wasteland. But if you're looking for the stuff actually in the desert, here is the breakdown of what you need and, more importantly, where the game hides the answers.
The Infamous Three Witches Code
This is the one that usually breaks people. There’s a chest sitting behind a statue in the western part of the desert. If you interact with it, you’ll just see "XXXXXX." No keypad, no nothing.
That’s because the game hard-locks the interaction until you find the Third Road document.
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Basically, you need to head toward the Hypertube entrance. Look for some half-buried shipping containers nearby. There’s a body there with a datapad. The note talks about "Three Witches" and shows a massive string of Greek letters. The trick? You only take every third letter.
- The Code: λλλλλλ (Six Lambdas)
- The Reward: A fat stack of Gold.
Don't bother trying to input it if you haven't picked up that document. Eve literally won't let you. It’s a bit of a "gotcha" mechanic, but once you have the paper, the chest opens right up.
Finding the Chapter of Trial Shrines
If you’re doing the Recruit Passcode Specialists quest from the Xion bulletin board, you've got work to do. This quest doesn't unlock a chest in the desert itself—it unlocks a shipping container in the Wasteland (southwest corner, inside a crashed ship). However, three of the six required symbols are hidden in the Great Desert.
Chapter of Trial 2-θ
You’ll find this one in the northern section of the map, specifically within the Buried Ruins. Look for the cluster of ruined, crumbling buildings. You need to climb to the second floor of one of these structures to find the little green shrine.
Chapter of Trial 3-α
Head south toward the Crumbling Overpass. There’s a path near the overpass that leads to a small alcove under some collapsed stone stairs. It’s easy to miss if you aren’t scanning constantly. The shrine is tucked away in that little nook.
Chapter of Trial 4-λ
This one is fun. You actually have to go through the Hypertube. Once the tube spits you out into the underground pool area, don’t just fast travel away. Look for a side path leading away from the water. The shrine is waiting at the end of that tunnel.
Once you have all six (including the ones from Matrix 11 and the Wasteland), the full sequence for that ship container is βθαλδζ.
The Solar Tower and Buried Ruins Loot
There are a few standalone chests that aren't tied to the big "Trial" quest but still require some legwork.
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The Solar Tower Chest
Up at the top of the Solar Tower, there’s a terminal. You usually end up here for the "Reboot!" quest. Most people grab the loot near the maintenance bot and leave, but there’s a platform on the opposite side.
- Code Location: You’ll find the code μηξεεγ on a drone/treasure bot in the northwest part of the Solar Tower area.
- The Goods: Usually high-tier upgrade materials.
The Oasis Underwater Chest
This one is a classic. There’s a chest submerged in the water at the Oasis.
- How to get it: You need the code λλλλαθ. You get this by completing the platforming challenge in the Central Great Desert. It involves some timed jumps and hitting switches, but it’s worth it for the Nano Suit materials.
North of Buried Ruins Outskirts
There is a specific chest southeast of the "North of Buried Ruins" camp. It's inside a ruined building that looks like a total dead end.
- The Code: ηηαμμδ
- Where to find it: You actually have to go to the Opera House area first. A treasure bot there drops the code.
Pro-Tips for Desert Exploration
The Great Desert is a resource sink. If you’re hunting these passcodes, make sure you’ve upgraded Eve’s Scan Range in the drone skill tree. The desert is vertical—a lot of these codes are on rooftops or in pits that don't show up on the flat map.
Also, keep an eye on your Data Bank. If you’ve picked up a code but forgot where it goes, the "Information" tab often gives a vague hint like "Found near the Solar Tower."
Actionable Next Steps
- Check the Bulletin Board: Ensure "Recruit Passcode Specialists" is active; otherwise, some shrines might not be interactable.
- Hit the Hypertube: It’s the easiest way to knock out the "Three Witches" clue and the Chapter 4 Trial shrine in one go.
- Clear the Solar Tower: You can’t reach most of the high-altitude loot until the power is back on and the lifts are working.
- Save the Ship for Last: Don't head back to the Wasteland until you have all six Greek symbols from the Chapter of Trial notes.
The rewards in the Great Desert are mostly focused on the La Vie en Rose suit and various MK2 gear pieces. If you're playing on a higher difficulty, those gear upgrades aren't just cosmetic—they're survival.