In Risk of Rain 2 (RoR2), players often find themselves at the Obelisk during the A Moment, Fractured event, faced with a critical decision: to obliterate or not. Obliteration is a unique way to end your run, but sometimes, players don’t want to end it just yet. Whether you’re looking to loop for more loot, unlock specific achievements, or challenge yourself further, learning how to not obliterate is important. This guide explains everything you need to know about avoiding obliteration, what it means, how to recognize the Obelisk, and what your other options are in this phase of the game.
Understanding the Obelisk
What Is the Obelisk?
The Obelisk is found in the hidden realm called A Moment, Fractured. This stage can be accessed by entering a Celestial Portal, which typically appears after the third loop or on Stage 8, 13, 18, and so on, depending on your run. The realm contains a long walkway leading to a giant structure the Obelisk. Interacting with it twice results in obliteration, ending your run and sending you to a cutscene.
Purpose of the Obelisk
The Obelisk gives players the option to end their current run voluntarily. It’s often used to:
- Unlock the Mercenary by obliterating for the first time
- Obtain Lunar Coins through the obliteration process
- Access the Secret Boss (the Void Fiend variant) if the correct conditions are met
However, not every player wants to use the Obelisk especially if they’re aiming to loop, earn artifacts, or push into harder difficulties for more challenges and rewards.
Why Avoid Obliteration
Continuing Your Run
If your goal is to play for as long as possible, obliterating cuts your progress short. Avoiding the Obelisk allows you to cycle through the stages again, collect more items, and unlock additional logbooks, skills, and character challenges.
Unlocking Loop-Based Content
Certain game elements like Artifact Keys, the Artifact of Command, or the Legendary Chest in Abyssal Depths only become available in looped runs. Choosing not to obliterate opens up these opportunities.
Challenges and Fun
Some players simply want to test how far they can go before the game becomes unmanageable. Choosing not to obliterate is a good way to explore the game’s scaling difficulty and experiment with high-power builds and synergies.
How to Not Obliterate
Recognizing the Decision Point
When you enter A Moment, Fractured, you walk a long, blue-glass bridge toward the Obelisk. Upon reaching it, you are given a prompt to ‘Obliterate yourself from existence.’ Interacting once brings up the dialogue box. Interacting again confirms your decision.
Steps to Avoid Obliteration
To not obliterate, simply avoid the second interaction with the Obelisk. Here’s how you do it step-by-step:
- Enter the Celestial Portal as usual.
- Walk the bridge to the Obelisk but do not interact a second time.
- Instead, press the Escape key (or pause if using controller) and choose Return to Game.
- Use the backtracking portal behind you there is usually a glowing blue loop return portal.
- Interact with that portal to return to the game and continue your run.
This option allows you to continue without ending your run. Note: if you press interact twice at the Obelisk, the action is irreversible.
Watch Out for Misclicks
Accidental double-taps on the interact button can lead to immediate obliteration. Always slow down at the Obelisk and think carefully before pressing anything. Some players suggest switching keybinds temporarily when reaching the Obelisk to avoid muscle memory errors.
Tips to Keep Your Run Going
Save Lunar Coins
Don’t spend all your Lunar Coins before the Celestial Portal. You may want to use them for Lunar Buds, the Lunar Shop, or to reroll items at the Bazaar Between Time instead of triggering obliteration. Since obliterating gives a few Lunar Coins, players sometimes feel tempted but resisting can help in the long run.
Prepare for the Loop
If you’re skipping obliteration, make sure you’re ready for the next cycle. Enemies become significantly tougher. You’ll want to stock up on healing, mobility, and AoE damage items. Prioritize items like:
- Harvester’s Scythe
- Ukulele
- Will-o’-the-wisp
- Fuel Cell + Equipment builds
- Shaped Glass (if confident)
Manage Time Carefully
Looping too many times without proper scaling can backfire. Since difficulty scales with time, not stages, always balance exploration with speed. Hit teleporter events early, and don’t linger too long searching for every chest unless you have specific goals.
Alternatives to Obliteration
Enter the Void Fields Instead
If you enter a blue portal instead of a Celestial one, you’ll go to the Bazaar Between Time. From there, you can enter the Void Fields via a hidden jump area. This is another excellent alternative to obliteration and offers high-tier item rewards if you can survive the gauntlet.
Search for the Artifact Portal
On certain stages, you can activate the Artifact Portal by completing the Artifact Code terminal. This gives access to the Artifact of your choice and a battle challenge. Instead of obliterating, seek out the code combinations to unlock new gameplay modifiers and continue your run with a twist.
Focus on Unlocks and Logs
By not obliterating, you can continue chasing Survivor unlocks like completing prismatic trials, unique boss fights, or obtaining skill variants. Some logbook entries are only accessible through specific enemy kills that happen in later loops.
When Should You Actually Obliterate?
While avoiding obliteration can extend your game and open new opportunities, there are cases when obliteration is the best choice:
- When unlocking the Mercenary for the first time
- If you’re aiming to end a long run safely for Lunar Coin rewards
- To access the alternate ending or special cutscene
- If you’re trying to unlock specific challenges that require obliteration
In all other cases, especially when you’re farming, experimenting, or playing for fun, avoiding obliteration can lead to a more dynamic and rewarding run.
Knowing how to not obliterate in Risk of Rain 2 is an important part of mastering the game. It gives you more control over your run, unlock progression, and how you experience the increasing difficulty of looping stages. By understanding the mechanics of the Obelisk, carefully choosing your path, and preparing your loadout, you can continue your journey through Petrichor V without prematurely ending your adventure. Whether you’re chasing records, testing builds, or enjoying the chaos of late-game scaling, staying alive past the Obelisk keeps the action going strong.