Stuck on the Mikatagahara Locked Gate in Nioh 3? Here Is the Real Reason Why
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Stuck on the locked gate in the Mikatagahara region of Nioh 3? According to a helpful guide from Polygon, you do not need a key; you simply need to progress the main story past the Hamamatsu Incident and speak with Hattori Hanzo to unlock it naturally.
Team Ninja is back at it with challenging design choices in Nioh 3, and players exploring the early regions are already running into a familiar progression wall. If you have stumbled across the stubborn locked gate in Mikatagahara while exploring the area around level 20, you are definitely not alone. The zone feels compact and straightforward, leading many players to assume they missed a hidden key or a clever side path nearby.
As our colleagues over at Polygon recently detailed in their comprehensive guide, the short answer is that you cannot open this gate during your initial walkthrough. No amount of searching will yield a hidden mechanism because the area is intentionally gated by campaign progression. Team Ninja has designed this zone to loop back naturally as part of the broader narrative arc, saving your exploration of that northern path for a later time.
To finally get that gate open without fuss, you need to advance the main story past the early hurdles. Specifically, you must complete The Hamamatsu Incident, defeat Jakotsu-baba, and chat with Hattori Hanzo at Hamamatsu Castle. This triggers The Battle of Mikatagahara quest line, allowing you to return to the obstacle and simply push it open with zero keys required. It is a classic Soulslike pacing trick that rewards patience over aggressive sequence breaking.
Tags: Nioh 3, Guides, Soulslike, Team Ninja, Polygon
Original article: Polygon