Mortal Shell 2 Gloom is a glowing white currency that you'll pick up as soon as you start chopping through enemies in the Soulslike game. You'll also be able to pick up Coins, but you can safely (and correctly) assume that this will be used with a trader at some point. Gloom, meanwhile, isn't so obvious.
More importantly, though, Gloom is dropped when you die. While you can recover it from the location of your death - provided you don't die again on your way there - you might be wondering what it does and, therefore, whether it's worth returning to the scene. I've got the long answer below, but, yes, you probably should try and get it back.
August 21, 2026: Following a patch today, Gloom is now also used to purchase Shell locations, instead of the the rare and finite Glimpses. Since Glimpses are limited, this is great news, but it does mean you have another way to spend your Gloom, so take care of it.
What is Mortal Shell 2 Gloom?
In Mortal Shell 2, Gloom is used to level up your Harbinger in increasing quantities, and can also be used to reveal Shell locations, meaning you need to collect as much of it as possible. You earn it by killing enemies, and you can farm it, as enemies who respawn after you die still drop Gloom.
You can level up at any Beacon, and this will tell you how much Gloom you need for the next upgrade, as well as the stat improvements you'll receive. Since Gloom is lost upon death, your best bet is to level up as regularly as possible, just in case you die somewhere you can't return.
To begin with, you should carefully split your Gloom between levelling up your Harbinger and unlocking the locations of Mortal Shell 2 Shells. To do so, head to Zhirelle at the Marrow Keep and spend between 3,000 and 10,000 Gloom to unlock each Shell. Once all seven locations are unlocked, you can then dedicate all Gloom to your Harbinger. The only Shell you can't find this way is Genessa, and I've got a separate guide on how to get the Mortal Shell 2 Genessa Shell if you need it.
Luckily, if (and when) you do die, your lost Gloom appears on the map, so you at least have some guide if you're unsure where to go or decide to try something else first. However, the most important thing to keep in mind is that only your last death is saved, so if you die again before retrieving lost Gloom, that loss will be gone forever.
You'll also get a little bonus Gloom when completing the Mortal Shell 2 Gorf questline - but I recommend the wholesome side quest for its story more than its rewards. And, while you can't upgrade your Shells with Gloom, you can do so with Mortal Shell 2 Glimpses, a rare and finite resource.
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