How to unlock Hades Erebus chambers and how they work

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Hades Erebus chambers are secret challenge rooms which can be added to the underworld to put some more spice in your escape attempts and potentially enhance your builds. However, before you can use them, you'll need to unlock, build, and find them, and all of this isn't terribly obvious at first blush. With that in mind, we've prepared a quick primer on Hades Erebus chambers so you can make the most of the underworld.

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How to unlock Infernal Gates leading to Erebus chambers  

Erebus chambers are accessed through Infernal Gates, which are a lot like the gates that lead to Chaos. They appear randomly in encounters and serve as extras along the standard pathways. To add Infernal Gates to your escape attempts, you can unlock them at the underworld Contractor for two diamonds. However, you'll need to first beat the final boss and unlock the deluxe Contractor's desk (also at the Contractor).  

How to access Erebus chambers 

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Once you've got Infernal Gates available to you, you'll start to encounter them in your escape attempts. However, you'll only be able to enter them if you're playing on a high enough Heat level. Here's how much Heat you need to access the Erebus chambers in each area: 

  • Tartarus - 5 Heat
  • Asphodel - 10 Heat
  • Elysium - 15 Heat

How do Erebus chambers work?  

For all that work, you'd hope that Erebus chambers dish out some pretty good stuff – and they do! They grant high-rarity boons, buffed Poms of Power and Centaur Hearts, and extra gold. But there's a big catch. See, Erebus chambers are challenge rooms, and the challenge is killing a whole bunch of dudes, often armored dudes, without taking any damage whatsoever. If you get hit even a single time, you'll lose your actual reward and receive a gag item that heals you for one health. Oh, and Hades will laugh at you. So, you know, try not to get hit. There's no time limit in Erebus, so you can and should play it safe.  

Austin Wood

Austin freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and he's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a senior writer is just a cover up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.