The Heart of Corruption Quest Walkthrough in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, players will come across The Heart of Corruption side quest early on when entering the Crossroads. This quest involves unlocking a door with three seals on Beacon Island, requiring three essences to open. However, the challenge behind the door is of end-game level difficulty, making it one of the longest quests in the game. Here is a step-by-step walkthrough to help you on The Heart of Corruption quest.

The Heart of Corruption Requirements

Before embarking on The Heart of Corruption quest, players need to fulfill certain requirements such as completing specific quests and parameters. Since this quest is over-arching, it can only be completed if the player has finished the campaign and main story up until the Siege of Weisshaupt. Additionally, players need to be at least at a mid-game level to defeat the bosses in each gate, with the weakest boss being level 32 and the most powerful being level 42. Once all requirements are met, players can take on the three Gate side quests to unlock the door for The Heart of Corruption.

Betrayal Of Felassan

The first boss players need to defeat is the Betrayal of Felassan, a level 32 boss found in the Gate of Deep Sorrows side quest. Here are some tips to help players defeat this boss:

Use a charged arrow shot to prevent the Betrayal from creating an explosion surrounded by a red bubble.
Damage the Betrayal’s tower shields from behind as they protect it from damage head-on.
Parry the Betrayal’s highly telegraphed and damaging attack patterns to avoid taking substantial damage.
Bring companions who can take advantage of the Betrayal’s vulnerabilities to Necrotic damage and resist Cold.
Deal with the Undead spawns quickly during the fight.

Defeating the Betrayal of Felassan will grant players the Revenant Essence and access to a chest with unique items.

Slaughter of The Pillars

The next boss players need to defeat is the Slaughter of The Pillars, a level 37 boss found in the Gate of Parched Hopes side quest. Here are some strategies for taking down this boss:

Exploit the smaller arena to hit the Slaughter and its Undead summons with one strike, but be mindful of the confined space.
Bottleneck the enemies to maximize your attacks when possible.
Keep your distance to avoid the red blight that the Slaughter can summon.
Use the same companions as with the Betrayal as the Slaughter shares the same weaknesses.

Defeating the Slaughter of The Pillars will yield the Corrupted Essence and grant access to another chest with unique items.

Fall of The Protector

The final boss players must defeat is the Fall of The Protector, a level 42 boss found in the Gate of Pale Reflections side quest. Here are some tips for facing this boss:

Clear the Undead summons before engaging the Fall of The Protector as they will continually spawn during the fight.
Equip AOE abilities to deal with the constant spawning of enemies.
Utilize ranged attacks and abilities to counter the Fall’s focus on spells and projectiles.
Bring companions who can exploit the Fall’s vulnerability to Cold Damage and resistance to fire.

Defeating the Fall of The Protector will grant players the Corrupted Revenant Essence and access to another chest with unique items.

Opening The Beacon Island Door

With all three essences in hand, players can now unlock the door on Beacon Island by placing them into the three seals. Beyond the door lies an arena where players will face the final boss, the Revenant Dragon.

Revenant Dragon Boss Fight

The Revenant Dragon is a level 50 boss and the ultimate challenge in The Heart of Corruption side quest. Here are some tactics to help players defeat this formidable foe:

Utilize fire attacks as the Revenant Dragon is vulnerable to them.
Hit the boss’ glowing limbs for stagger damage when they are exposed.
Avoid the dragon’s melee attacks and focus on dodging rather than parrying.
Reflect the dragon’s breath weapons back at it for extra damage.
Attack from behind and avoid the head to limit the dragon’s attack options and maximize your offensive opportunities.

Upon defeating the Revenant Dragon, players will complete The Heart of Corruption side quest, earning various rewards and currency. Additionally, a unique item can be obtained from a chest at the opposite end of the arena.