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Hunt down collectibles in ‘God of War’ with this treasure maps guide

When God of War players reach the Lake of Nine, a major open-world hub in the newly released PlayStation 4 game, they discover a place where many a Nordic ship has met a waterlogged end. Of course, any place with ships also has to have treasure. Among the many different collectibles players can hunt down in God of War are special treasures. These are marked on maps that require players to puzzle out the regions to which they refer and match the images on them with their in-game locations.

The scavenger hunt that entails finding all 12 treasures is no easy feat, since players must find all the maps and their corresponding booty. We’ve rowed from one end of Midgard to the other to find every lost bit of treasure in God of War. Here’s all you need to know to find every treasure map and treasure in the game.

The Boat Captain’s Key

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Map location: The first Treasure Map is located on the beach of Stone Falls. You can reach it the first time you visit the Lake of Nine.

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Solution: Since you have a treasure related to a captain, it makes sense it would be located near a boat. Head to the Isle of Death on the southwestern section of the island and land the boat. Climb up to the top of the island, where you’ll find a dried-out shipwreck beached on a rock. Head inside the hull to find the treasure on the round there.

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Hunter’s Kingdom

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Map location: Land on the beach to the southeast of the Vanaheim tower, marked “Lookout Tower” on your map. This is the one with the spikes sticking out of the sand. The map is resting on the beach and easy to find.

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Solution: The dwarven king of Veithurgard is the hunter to which the map refers. Head to the east region and land on the mainland. Follow the path up and around the area to get to the castle, where you’ll find two dwarf statues flanking the doors to get inside. When facing the door, head left to where one of the statues’ heads has fallen to the ground. You’ll find the treasure just beside it.

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Dead and Bloated

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Map location: Make for the Volunder Mines from the Lake of Nine and talk to Brok to gain the “Second Hand Soul” Favor and entry into the mines. Inside, you’ll see a cutscene with a Soul Eater before it lumbers off. Drop down and fight off the Draugr, then continue on the path until you hit a Revenant. Kill it and the path will fork left and right. Follow the right path down to a chest, and the map is on the ground nearby.

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Solution: The “Dead and Bloated” body the map refers to is back at the Lake of Nine. Land on the beach at the Cliffs of the Raven south of the channel to Veithunder. Follow the path back to the rotting body of the troll at the back of the area. Go around to the head of the body — the treasure is buried in front of it.

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Don’t Blink

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Map location: After Alfheim and the water has dropped, get the “Fafnir’s Hoard” Favor from Sindri and return to the Lake of Nine. Head to Fafnir’s Ravine, which is located near the Forgotten Caverns. Push through to the landing, not long after which you’ll see Sindri at a stand. Past that, you’ll fight through the woods to reach the storeroom. Check next to the pedestal that takes the keystone to open the storeroom and you’ll find the “Don’t Blink” map.

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Solution: You’ll find the “Don’t Blink” treasure when you return to the Mountain to clear the Black Breath. Right after you do, check beside the mouth of the face carved into the cliffside for another path. You’ll find the treasure buried at the end.

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The Turtle’s Tribute

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Map location: After Atreus has received the lightning arrows, the story will take you back to the Witch’s Cave, but with the water lower than before. From the elevator, head toward the path that leads up to the Witch’s house, but instead of heading upward, look for a path to the right that goes down. Complete the bridges here using the Alfheim’s Light arrows and follow the path downward past a Nornir chest. Ahead, you can blow up a World Tree Sap barrier and climb up to find a room with a Hidden Chamber door and some treasure chests. Check between the chests to find the “Turtle’s Tribute” treasure map.

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Solution: With the door of Witch’s house at your back, head to the back of the Witch’s Cave to find a path that lets you climb out of the cave and into the house’s front yard. Follow the path down toward the turtle. The treasure is beside the path on the right side, right in front of the house and to the right of the turtle’s head.

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The Historian

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Map location: Head to the north end of Lake of the Nine to find the Ruins of the Ancients, north of Light Elf Outpost. From the beach, head into the island and hop over the fallen pillar to find the treasure map labeled “The Historian” between the beach and the Soul Devourer up ahead.

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Solution: “The Historian” the map is referring to is Fafnir, so to find the treasure, you’ll want to return to Fafnir’s Storeroom. The treasure is buried right in the entrance, near the cool-looking statues.

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Finder’s Fee

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Map location: With the water in the Lake of Nine dropped, head back to the Forgotten Caverns to access a new area. Up ahead from the landing, you’ll fight some wolves. Look for a climbing path that’ll take you up from there; turn left and you’ll find a chest and the “Finder’s Fee” treasure map.

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Solution: You’ll read a bit of a story about Reavers on the treasure map, as well as a “perch” where the treasure is hidden. The place where Reavers hang out, as it happens, is the Northri Stronghold. You’ll need the “Family Business” Favor from Sindri to enter the stronghold, which requires you having completed the “Fafnir’s Hoard” favor earlier. When you arrive in the stronghold, row to the dock at the water wheel. As you start up the path from the landing, stop before the gap that you have to jump over and turn 180 degrees to look back toward your boat. You’ll see a wall you can climb. At the top is the treasure.

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Creation Island

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Map location: Land at the beach for Iron Cove and you’ll hit a Fire Ancient. Take it out and the Helwalkers beyond (specifically if you have the “Dead Freight” Favor), then keep moving along the path and look for the scroll you need on the left side.

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Solution: “Creation Island” refers to a small island on the east side of the Lake of Nine: Buri’s Storeroom. Land on the western side of the island and walk under the iron gate around the back of the island. Hug the left side of the path as you approach a second beach and you’ll discover the pile of stones that marks the treasure.

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Kneel Before Thor!

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Map location: You’ll find this map in the Landsuther Mines. To get inside, you’ll need the “Deus Ex Malachite” Favor from Brok, which requires completing the “Second Hand Soul” Favor first. Enter the mines and work your way through them until you reach a waterfall. A climbable wall will be ahead to your right, but if you go left, you’ll find an elevator that will take you down. At the bottom is the map.

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Solution: There are two statues of Thor in Midgard: One in Veithurgard, which you probably destroyed as part of a Favor, and one in the Lake of Nine, which the World Serpent ate at one point. A portion of the statue still exists, though, beside the Muspelheim Tower on the south side of the lake. Row to the tower and take the elevator to the top, then go through the doors at the back of the platform. Climb down the rocky cliff face to get down beneath the feet of the statue, then head to the northwestern tip of the area to find the treasure.

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Island of Light

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Map location: Land on the beach on the west side of the Mason Channel, just east of the Helheim Tower on the Lake of Nine. The treasure map scroll is right in front of where you get out of the boat.

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Solution: You might have guessed that the Island of Light is the Light Elf Outpost in the north of the Lake of Nine. Climb up a level and head to the northwest edge of the island. Look out toward the Ruins of the Ancients and a waterfall in the distance, and you’ll see a small pile of rocks that marks the treasure.

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Njord’s Oarsmen

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Map location: You’ll find the map in the Northri Stronghold, but you’ll need the “Family Business” Favor from Sindri to access it. Inside, work your way through the stronghold until you get to the docked Reaver ship. From the deck of the ship, hop off the side and spin around to face the ship. You’ll find a hole that lets you get into its hold, where you’ll find the “Njord’s Oarsmen” map.

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Solution: The Njord’s Oarsmen are those two big wood statues that mark the entrance of the Mason Channel. Land on the beach on the west side of the channel and work your way back, past Sindri’s shop, to where you can climb up. At the top of the wall, hang a right to go through a short tunnel that’ll take you out to a cliff that looks out over the Oarsmen statues. The treasure is waiting there.

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(Stop! From here on out, this guide contains unavoidable story spoilers! Do not read on until you’ve been to Helheim!)

The Last Place They’d Look

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Map location: After visiting Helheim, you’ll return to the Mountain in Midgard. When you reach the room that formerly held the claw that took you upward into the mountain, you’ll find an elevator instead. Take that to the top, then follow the path heading north. You’ll see some explosive crystals, and a small staircase. Check to the right of it to find the map.

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Solution: Find the Council of Valkyries, which you can reach by climbing up from the Mason Channel’s western beach. As you enter the council area with the eight thrones, look up to see some faces carved in the mountain above. Facing them, head to the left side of the council area to find the treasure buried in the ground.

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Phil Hornshaw
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Phil Hornshaw is an author, freelance writer and journalist living in Los Angeles. He is the co-author of The Space Hero's…
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