Skip to main content

The Ascent: All skill point locations

Building up your character in The Ascent is completely open to your own preferences. You’re free to invest your skill points into any skills you like, with no class restrictions to funnel you into any specific play style or role. These skills give you some passive bonuses, such as more health and energy, but also make your abilities stronger at the same time. Shooting may be your primary way of dealing damage, but it’s really your skills that determine how strong you are in this cyberpunk world ready to tear you limb from limb.

Leveling up always nets you three precious skill points to distribute however you please. However, even when you hit max level, you won’t have enough to fully upgrade your character. The alternative way of earning skill points is to find them hidden in the world. There are eight more skill points waiting to be found and collected in various locations in The Ascent, and we’ve pinpointed their locations so you can buff your character as much as possible. Here’s every skill point location on the map.

Recommended Videos

Further reading

Skill Point 1: Cluster 13 – Workout Courtyard

Standing at the counter of a dingy shop.
Microsoft

This first skill point can be picked up at the tail end of the very first mission in the game. Once you arrive at Cluster 13, head toward the bar, which will be indicated on your map. Once inside, just head around the back of the bar, past the bartender, and pick up this skill point in the far right corner.

Skill Point 2: Waste Recycling Network

During your second visit to the Waste Recycling Network, the skill point we’re after will be in a chest you can reach after you fight the Papa Feral.

Skill Point 3: Gratitude – Store Room

Once at Gratitude, head to the building to the north, but not so far that you enter No Man’s Land. Look for the locked door that requires at least one Cyberdeck upgrade to hack open, labeled as ICE-1. If you have the hacking skills, crack open the door and grab an easy skill point inside.

Skill Point 4: Grinder – South East of Grinder Station

Mechs shooting a chaingun.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This skill point is hard to miss. As you wrap up the second main mission in the game and arrive at the Grinder, go to the top right corner of the map. There’s a ton of things to pick up here, but make sure you grab the skill point from the chest before you leave.

Skill Point 5: Gratitude – Cafe

Right after the last skill point and finishing up the second mission, the third mission will take you to a location called the Black Lake Towers. To get there, you will have to go through Gratitude again, but this time keep your eyes open for an abandoned cafe you can enter through a blown-out hole in the wall. Inside near the top is your skill point.

Skill Point 6: Nitroad – BioChoice Pharma Building

Further on during the third mission, you will enter the Nitroad. This area is full of gang members you will have to fight your way through, but take your time and make sure to spot the BioChoice Pharma building. It’s a small, square building lit up in blue. On the desk behind the counter is the skill point.

Skill Point 7: Cosmodrome – Behind the East Desk

People looking out over a view of a towering city.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We’re still in the third mission for this skill point. Almost at the end, while navigating the Cosmodrome, you will be in a lobby with rows of benches and desks. Along the bottom wall is a kiosk and a skill point on the rear desk between terminals.

Skill Point 8: The Node – Onyx Void Chapter

The last skill point you can pick up is in the mission “Foreign Code.” During this mission, you will enter the Onyx Void Chapter building. Once you enter, go up the stairs and take the first available right turn. Inside this cluttered room is a desk with your last skill point on it.

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 won’t be as taxing on your PC
A rainbow colored hot air balloon in the sky.

One of the biggest obstacles to playing Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is how taxing it is to run on your platform of choice, both in terms of performance and storage. For the next game in the series, Xbox and developer Asobo Studio are making it just a little easier to run.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will be around 30GB smaller at installation than its predecessor: 127GB versus 157GB. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was one of the largest games around, and even prompted some people to purchase more powerful hardware for their PCs. And that installation number doesn't even include all the extra content you could buy. While 2024 will still be quite big, trimming it down will make it easier to install on your drive, which probably wasn't that big to start with if you have an original Xbox Series X/S.

Read more
Xbox Game Pass’ new Standard tier is missing some big games
Lilith staring into the camera in Diablo 4. She has giant horns and red wings behind her.

Players are digging into Xbox Game Pass now that the company has officially launched its new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier. However, they've discovered that it's missing quite a few noteworthy titles, including some that were already on the service before Xbox switched to its new payment structure.

Xbox published a post on September 10 marking the move, and explaining its new Game Pass plans in a succinct manner. Want to just use your Xbox for multiplayer? Grab Game Pass Core. Just want games on your PC? Get PC Game Pass. Game Pass Standard, arguably the most confusing new tier of the bunch when it was announced back in July, is for people who want to "level up [their] Xbox console gaming experience at a great value." It costs $15 per month compared to Ultimate's $20 per month (up from $17).

Read more
Overwatch 2 is now on Xbox Game Pass, and it comes with perks
Overwatch 2 skins: Cardboard Reinhardt, Turtleship D.Va, Cyberdragon Hanzo, Street Runner Genji, Bee Mercy, and Cleric Lifeweaver

Blizzard Entertainment surprise dropped Overwatch 2 on Xbox Game Pass on Tuesday, despite the game being free to play and already on Xbox.

You might find this to be a strange addition, but as a Blizzard blog post specifies, this is more about encouraging players to link their Battle.net and Xbox accounts. As a reward, players that do so will receive six exclusive skins: Cardboard Reinhardt, Turtleship D.Va, Cyberdragon Hanzo, Street Runner Genji, Bee Mercy, and Cleric Lifeweaver. (The image of a Reinhardt in a cardboard suit is delightful.) Players will also get 30 Mythic Prisms that they can use in the Mythic Shop for other skins.

Read more