In Orange PvP, you keep the equipment you're wearing, but you lose your inventory. A teammate can revive you by bringing your Friendly Soul to an Altar of Awakening. If the dungeon collapses before you leave, the same inventory risk applies.
What Are the Depths in Albion Online?
The Depths are special instanced PvPvE dungeons introduced with the Abyssal Depths update in June 2025. They're mainly designed for groups of two or three, but players can enter with fewer teammates for an extra challenge.
Each dungeon has three levels. You fight monsters and other groups, collect Souls, receive temporary buffs and choose whether to descend deeper for better rewards or escape with what you've already earned.
You can expect regular enemies, minibosses and bosses, treasure chests, Soul Altars, special exits and a final Treasure Vault that other groups can contest.
The most important skill isn't always clearing faster or winning every fight. It's knowing when to continue and when to leave before the dungeon collapses.
How to Enter the Depths
Depths entrances are located inside the Antiquarian's Den, which you can access from every Royal City, including Caerleon. The Den also provides access to Hellgates and Corrupted Dungeons, plus bank and repair facilities for preparing another run.
Step 1: Find the Antiquarian's Den
Enter the Den in your city. Deposit any valuables you aren't willing to lose, check your equipment durability and repair anything that needs attention.
Step 2: Choose Duo or Trio Depths
Choose the two-player or three-player entrance. You can queue short-handed, but other groups may have the full intended party size. If you're new, go in as a full duo or trio.
Step 3: Enter when the entrance opens
The gates open periodically rather than remaining available all the time. Players enter in waves. Party members need to enter from the same city's Den, although groups from different cities can encounter each other inside.
| Mode | Intended party | Final Vault Keys |
|---|---|---|
| Duo Depths | 2 players | 3 Keys |
| Trio Depths | 3 players | 5 Keys |
You can enter alone, but a full group makes the PvE and PvP easier. Short-handed players also receive less Fame after the June 2026 reward changes.
Depths Item Power Requirements and Healing
Before entering, your equipment needs to meet the minimum 900 Base Item Power requirement. The Depths have a 1,200 IP soft cap, with 20% scaling above that threshold.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum Base Item Power | 900 |
| Item Power soft cap | 1,200 |
| Scaling above cap | 20% |
| Healing reduction (Duo and Trio) | 35% |
For example, a 1,400 IP item has 200 IP above the soft cap. Only 20% of that excess counts, so its effective IP under the basic soft-cap calculation is 1,240.
Better equipment still helps, but the cap reduces the advantage of extremely expensive sets. For your first runs, prioritize a build that clears enemies comfortably and survives unexpected PvP rather than chasing the highest possible IP.
Healing was initially reduced by 30%, but that debuff increased to 35% on January 26, 2026. A group that relies on dedicated healing should account for the lower effective healing output.
You can find a deeper explanation of IP caps and scaling in my Albion Online Item Power Guide.
Understanding Orange PvP in the Depths
Orange PvP sits between non-lethal content and full-loot PvP. Fights are real and your loot is at risk, but another player killing you doesn't take the gear you're wearing.
Equipped gear
Your equipped weapon, armor and other worn equipment stay with you. They can still take durability damage and cost silver to repair.
Inventory contents
Loot and other items inside your bag are dropped when you die, subject to normal trash rules. Anything you carry into the dungeon is also at risk.
When you're killed, your character leaves behind a Soul. A surviving teammate can collect it for a chance to bring you back, which makes teamwork particularly useful.
Unlike Yellow Zone knockdowns, this isn't a completely safe loss. If you're carrying a valuable chest reward, that loot can disappear in one fight. The same danger applies if you're caught inside when the dungeon collapses.
Deposit loot from previous activities before you enter. The equipment you wear is protected from player loot, but anything sitting in your inventory can be lost.
Mounts can't be used inside, and trading between players is restricted, so plan your consumables and group setup before entering.
How the Three Depths Levels Work
Each level becomes progressively more dangerous and can offer more valuable objectives. You begin on the first floor, then choose whether to escape when exits appear or descend toward the final Vault.
| Level | Tier | Main objectives | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | T6 | Clear rooms, gather Souls, find loot and buffs | Lower |
| Level 2 | T7 | Stronger enemies, minibosses, bosses and treasure | Medium |
| Level 3 | T8 | Bosses, Vault Keys, Treasure Vault and PvP | Highest |
Level 1: Getting started
You'll clear rooms, defeat enemies, collect Souls and unlock rewards or combat buffs. This is the best time to get comfortable with your build and see how quickly your group can clear enemies without using every defensive cooldown.
Some reward rooms provide loot and others offer a temporary Gift. Small room chests also grant Demonic Ferocity stacks to nearby party members, so staying together matters.
Level 2: Stronger enemies and more contested rewards
The second floor introduces tougher encounters, including minibosses and bosses. You can continue collecting Souls and buffs, but you should expect other groups to compete for objectives.
If your bag is already valuable or your teammates have lost too much health and resources, you don't have to push to the final floor. A successful Level 2 exit is still a successful run.
Level 3: The final Treasure Vault
The final floor is home to the Treasure Vault. Players collect Keys that spawn around the level and bring them to the Vault. Since other groups can compete for the same prize, this often becomes the riskiest part of the run.
Whether you fight for the Vault should depend on your group's buffs, equipment, confidence and how much loot you're already carrying.
How Souls Work in the Depths
Souls are among the most important Depths mechanics. Players always leave a Soul when killed, while defeated mobs sometimes drop one. You can carry Souls to Altars, spend them on loot or use them to open special exits.
| Soul | Source | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Hostile (red) | Enemy player | Trade for loot; contributes to Antiquarian Standing |
| Friendly (blue) | Defeated party member | Revive that player at an Altar of Awakening |
| Neutral (white) | Mobs, or player Soul after leaving | Exchange for loot or use at a Soulgate |
What happens to a teammate's Soul?
When your teammate dies, they can watch their Soul while waiting for a possible resurrection. A surviving teammate can carry their Friendly Soul to an Altar of Awakening.
If the dead player chooses to leave the Depths instead, they forfeit that chance: their Soul becomes Neutral and their teammate can no longer revive them with it.
If you're dead and your partner is trying to recover your Soul, don't leave without telling them. Waiting for a safe resurrection can save a run, but it only works while the Friendly Soul remains eligible.
What Do Altars and Soulgates Do?
Altar of Greed: Trade Souls for loot
Any Soul can be offered to an Altar of Greed in exchange for a loot reward. This makes Souls another way to earn silver alongside room rewards, bosses and treasure. Just remember that moving across the dungeon to deposit one can expose you to PvP.
Altar of Awakening: Revive a teammate
Bring your fallen teammate's blue Friendly Soul to an Altar of Awakening to resurrect them. This gives duo and trio groups a way to recover from an otherwise disastrous fight.
Soulgates: Open an early exit
Some rooms contain a Soulgate that can be activated using a Soul. The gate stays open for around 30 seconds, so your whole party should be ready to escape before you activate it.
Souls aren't just an extra loot mechanic. They can be a way to rescue your group or extract with the rewards you've already found.
If your inventory is full of good loot and a Soulgate is nearby, think carefully before spending every Soul at an Altar of Greed. The safe escape may be worth more.
Room Buffs and Demonic Ferocity
Some rooms reward you with temporary combat buffs once you've defeated the enemies protecting them. These Gifts are particularly useful if you plan to descend deeper or compete against another group.
They provide different combat effects, so the best Gift depends on your build and what you expect to encounter. A group preparing for a Vault fight may want to collect several valuable buffs first.
Demonic Ferocity stacks
Opening a small chest after clearing a room grants nearby party members a Demonic Ferocity stack. These stacks increase your combat effectiveness and can accumulate up to 15 stacks.
This is one reason players who have been clearing rooms together may have an advantage over groups arriving from another area. Don't assume an enemy group is weak just because its members aren't using expensive equipment.
On the other hand, you shouldn't chase every buff if the dungeon is about to collapse or your goal is simply to escape with your loot.
How to Open the Treasure Vault
The Level 3 Treasure Vault is the main contested objective. It becomes visible on the map after a period of time, and special Keys appear in the region.
3 Keys
Collect and carry three Keys to unlock the final Vault in two-player mode.
5 Keys
Collect and carry five Keys to unlock the final Vault in three-player mode.
Other groups can collect Keys and bring them to the same objective, so the final floor often turns into a PvP contest. If nobody opens the Vault, additional Keys spawn after ten minutes and then every three minutes, increasing the chances of an eventual opening.
What happens after the Vault opens?
Once the required Keys have been delivered, the Vault can be unlocked. An exit opens for roughly 60 seconds, giving players an opportunity to leave the Depths with their rewards.
Don't spend so long arguing about who takes which item that you miss your way out. Decide who will pick up the loot and where your group will regroup before the final fight starts.
Is fighting for the Vault always worth it?
No. It can be profitable if your group has useful buffs and can win the fight, but you can also lose the inventory you've already earned. Sometimes leaving from an earlier floor or using a Soulgate is the better decision.
How to Escape Before the Depths Collapse
Time management is part of the activity. At first, you're sealed into each level. After a while, exits appear, allowing you to leave or descend. Once exits are open, the floor begins collapsing and becomes increasingly dangerous.
Abyssal Depths Patch 3 in August 2025 also reduced the lifetime of each floor by three minutes. Don't follow old launch-era videos that assume more time is available.
1. Use a regular exit
When an exit opens, leave the dungeon with your rewards rather than progressing farther. This is often the smartest choice if you already have valuable loot.
2. Descend to the next level
You can escape the current floor's collapse by taking a passage to a deeper floor that hasn't collapsed yet. This brings more reward potential but also more risk.
3. Use a Soulgate
If you have a Soul and find a Soulgate, activate it to open an exit for 30 seconds. Prepare your group to leave together.
Pay attention to the actual in-game warnings rather than relying on a fixed stopwatch. As the collapse progresses, damaging effects intensify, and anyone still trapped when the floor finally closes can die and lose their inventory.
As soon as the collapse warning starts, make sure you know which exit you're using. Starting a new boss fight when time is running out can cost your entire run.
How to Make Fame and Silver in the Depths
The Depths offer several kinds of rewards. You earn Fame by clearing enemies, collect loot from rooms and bosses, turn Souls into treasure and sometimes compete for the valuable final Vault.
Clearing PvE rooms
For many players, this is the most consistent part of the activity. Defeat mobs efficiently, unlock room rewards and collect Souls along the way. Avoid using every defensive ability on a routine mob pull when another team could appear.
Bosses and minibosses
Stronger enemies can provide more Fame and loot, but take time to defeat. Make sure your party is healthy and has a plan for another group arriving during the fight.
Exchanging Souls for rewards
Souls give you something else to do as you move between rooms. Deliver them to an Altar of Greed when it makes sense, but keep an emergency exit in mind if your bags are already valuable.
Fighting other players
PvP can lead to additional loot, Antiquarian Standing and progress in other systems, but it isn't free money. You can still lose everything in your inventory if you lose the fight.
The best Depths run isn't always the one with the largest Vault or highest total chest value. Your real profit is the loot you manage to extract, minus repairs and other costs.
Antiquarian Standing and Rewards
The Antiquarian is an NPC located inside the Antiquarian's Den. Participating in Depths and related PvP activities can increase your Antiquarian Standing, unlocking additional progression and themed rewards.
You can find hell-themed avatar cosmetics, Demon Cape crests and special spider mounts such as the Hellspinner and Soulspinner.
Standing is used for progression, while Favor can be spent on eligible rewards at the Antiquarian. This gives players a reason to return even when an individual run doesn't produce amazing silver.
Player kills and Soul deliveries can also contribute toward Conqueror's Challenge progress, although the Might awarded by these actions was reduced during the 2025 balance updates.
A Beginner-Friendly Depths Strategy
You don't need to force the final Treasure Vault on your first run. I'd follow this simple six-step route while learning the dungeon.
- Enter with an affordable, balanced build.
Bring enough PvE damage to clear rooms, plus defensive abilities to survive PvP. Aim around the soft cap instead of overspending.
- Clear the first floor together.
Learn the enemy mechanics, pick up Souls and activate useful room buffs. Don't split up when other groups may be nearby.
- Inspect other groups before fighting.
Consider your current health, cooldowns, buffs and group composition. You don't need to engage everyone you see.
- Decide whether to leave or descend.
Check your loot and team condition when exits appear. If the rewards are good enough, leaving early is a win.
- Use Souls carefully.
Don't automatically spend every Soul for loot. Keeping a Soul for a Soulgate may give your team a safer way home.
- Watch the collapse timer.
Know where your exit is and move before the danger becomes overwhelming. Surviving is part of farming.
What Builds Should You Use in the Depths?
The best equipment depends on whether you're playing Duo or Trio Depths and whether your main goal is Fame, PvP, or the final Vault. Here are the things I'd prioritize.
Reliable PvE damage
Clearing quickly gives your group more time to collect rewards, build buffs and find an exit.
Strong PvP abilities
A pure PvE set may feel great until another group attacks. Bring equipment that can actually fight back.
Defense and crowd control
Shields, cleanses, control and damage reduction help protect teammates and respond to enemy engages.
Mobility and coordination
Movement abilities help you reposition or escape, while good duo or trio coordination makes every set stronger.
Duo and Trio compositions
For duos, look for a balance of damage, survivability, mobility and enough control to support each other. A healer can be useful, but the 35% healing debuff makes it important to bring other forms of utility too.
Trios have more flexibility to combine damage, control and support. Try to choose abilities that work together instead of three builds that each do their own thing.
You can find tested weapon setups on my Albion Online Build Guides page. If you're still learning equipment scaling, start with the Item Power Guide.
Are the Depths Worth Doing Solo?
You can enter the Depths alone, but they are not primarily designed as solo farming content. You may encounter full duos or trios, several objectives are harder to complete alone, and other groups can contest your exits and rewards.
The June 2026 Fame changes also reduce what you earn when you enter a mode with fewer players than intended. Solo players in Trio Depths are affected the most, but solo Duo players and two-player Trio groups also receive a reduction.
On top of that, some chest rewards are approximately 25% lower when looted by a solo player, following the September 2025 loot changes.
I still think solo Depths can be a fun challenge, especially if you enjoy surviving difficult situations. But if your goal is efficient solo Fame or silver, compare them against Ancient Lands, the Mists and Open World farming in my Solo Fame Farming Tier List.
Important Depths Changes in 2026
Older guides and launch videos can make the Depths seem more rewarding or slower-paced than they are now. Here are the adjustments worth knowing before you enter.
January 26, 2026: Healing reduction increased
Duo and Trio Depths healing debuff increased from 30% to 35%. This reduced the strength of healer-heavy small-group compositions.
June 29, 2026: Base Fame increased by 10%
Base Fame was increased by 10%, but parties smaller than their mode's intended player count received a stronger Fame penalty. Full groups are rewarded more appropriately.
September 2025: Solo loot reduced
Room reward chests, Altar of Greed chests, miniboss and boss chests and Level 3 Vaults began awarding roughly 25% less loot to solo players. Altar of Greed chests were also reduced by approximately 9.1% for everyone.
August 2025: Shorter floor duration
Abyssal Depths Patch 3 shortened each level by three minutes, so guides showing the original launch timing may be inaccurate.
The temporary anniversary event's extra 25% Fame and Loot ended in July 2026, so it's not an ongoing Depths bonus.
Are the Depths Worth Playing in 2026?
Yes, especially if you enjoy playing with one or two friends. The Depths mix PvE, small-group PvP and extraction-style gameplay: you clear rooms, collect buffs and Souls, compete for treasure and choose when to escape.
Orange PvP also makes experimenting less expensive than full-loot Black Zone fights, since your equipped set stays with you. Your inventory is still at risk, and you're not guaranteed to make it out with every reward.
If your only goal is uninterrupted Fame farming, other activities may be more consistent. But if you enjoy managing risk while doing a little bit of everything, the Depths are well worth trying.
Albion Online Depths FAQ
Can you enter the Depths solo?
Yes. Players can enter Duo or Trio Depths with fewer than the intended party size. However, you may face full groups and short-handed runs have weaker Fame rewards after the June 2026 adjustments.
Do you lose your gear in the Depths?
No. Orange PvP means you keep your equipped gear when another player kills you, but you drop your inventory and your gear still takes durability damage.
What Item Power do you need for the Depths?
At least 900 Base Item Power. The Depths have a 1,200 Item Power soft cap with 20% scaling above that threshold.
How many levels are in the Depths?
Three levels. The enemies and rewards become stronger the deeper you go, and the final level contains the Treasure Vault.
How many Keys open the Treasure Vault?
Duo Depths require three Keys, while Trio Depths require five Keys.
What happens when the Depths collapse?
After exits appear, the level begins to collapse and eventually becomes deadly. You need to take an exit or descend to a floor that has not collapsed.
How do you revive a teammate?
Collect their blue Friendly Soul and offer it at an Altar of Awakening. If they leave the instance instead of waiting, their Soul turns Neutral and can no longer revive them.
Can you escape the Depths early?
Yes. A Soulgate can be opened using a Soul and stays open for 30 seconds. Regular exits also appear as a level progresses.
Is there a healing debuff in the Depths?
Yes. Healing is reduced by 35% in both Duo and Trio Depths following the January 2026 balance changes.
Are the Depths good for Fame farming?
They can be, especially with a full group. Base Fame was increased by 10% in June 2026, but players entering with fewer teammates than intended receive reduced Fame.
Enter the Depths. Make it out with your loot.
Sometimes the best run is a final Vault victory. Other times it's clearing a few rooms, collecting Souls and using a Soulgate before things get dangerous. Learn the mechanics, watch the collapse, and remember that the rewards only matter if you escape with them.
Mechanics references: Official Abyssal Depths update, Depths launch patch notes, January 2026 healing changes, June 2026 Fame changes, and solo loot changes. Mechanics can change in later patches.