Power Cell Locations - Horizon: Zero Dawn Guide - IGN (2024)

Power Cells are unique and hard-to-find items that are needed to complete the side quest, Ancient Armory, in Horizon: Zero Dawn. Upon obtaining all 5 hidden Power Cells, you'll unlock a powerful Shield Weaver armor, which renders Aloy nearly invincible for a set amount of time while wearing it. In our Power Cells Locations guide, we'll provide a step-by-step walkthrough for finding all 5 hidden Power Cells that have been scattered across the map.

How to Find All Power Cell Locations in Horizon: Zero Dawn

The power cells are presented below in the chronological order they can be obtained during the main questline. Looking for a particular Power Cell? Click the links below to jump to...

• Power Cell 01: Underground Bunker
• Power Cell 02: All-Mother Temple
• Power Cell 03: Maker’s End
• Power Cell 04: The Grave Hoard
• Power Cell 05: GAIA Prime

Power Cell 01: Underground Bunker

The first Power Cell can actually be found while exploring the open world after completing the prologue as Young Aloy.

Return to the ruins where you found your Focus device and retrace your path through the barracks and down the stairs until you come to a closed door.

Pry open the door ahead of you and move through the offices to head back upstairs.

At the top of the steps, you’ll find a room with a doorway blocked by rock formations on your right.

Use your spear to smash through the rocks and collect the power cell off the desk.

Power Cell 02: All-Mother Temple

The next Power Cell can be found in the All-Mother Temple in Mother’s Watch during the quest The Womb of the Mountain, right after you complete The Proving.

After finding your equipment and speaking to Matriarch Teersa, cross the hall to the locked door before following her out of the stronghold.

Next to the locked door is an open ventilation duct - move through it to enter the room beyond the door and collect a Power Cell.

Please note, after this quest concludes, the gates to the All-Mother Temple will close temporarily. If you come back after The Womb of the Mountain, you may find the doors locked. Don't worry, this is just temporary. Mother's Watch will re-open in the course of the main storyline. Since you won't be able to acquire all five Power Cells before The Mountain That Fell anyway, there is no rush to get back in -- but there is a way to break through the wall boundaries at the back of the temple when mounted if you're feeling adv1enturous and don't want to do it the old-fashioned way.

To get back into the All-Mother Temple, simply return as part of the The Heart of the Nora mission. Note that you cannot fast-travel directly to the temple (for reasons you'll soon see), so pick the nearest-by campfire and travel on foot.

Note: Some users have reported that the door to the temple doesn't reliably open when you fast-travel to Mother's Watch after The Heart of the Nora mission is completed. To make it open, walk away from the town for a bit (across the bridge at least) or fast-travel to another campfire a bit farther away, then walk back into town.

Power Cell 03: Maker’s End

When can you get it: During or after the main story mission Maker's End

The third power cell can be found in Maker’s End, initially during the story quest of the same name.

Once you’ve scaled the F.A.S. building all the way up to Faro’s Office - near the end of the mission - you’ll want to scale the tower at the east end of the office to the very tip-top of the skyscraper.

Pick up the power cell, which can be found by the edge of the tower, and then proceed to rappel back down.

Power Cell 04: The Grave Hoard

When can you get it: During or after the mission The Grave Hoard.

The next Cell can be collected starting in the mission called The Grave Hoard.

After descending down into the ruins, you’ll need to open an electronic lock by resetting three mechanisms to continue the mission.

Once the lock has been opened, you’ll find this power cell lying on the ground on the other side of the door.

Power Cell 05: GAIA Prime

The final power cell can be found in the ruins during the mission The Mountain That Fell.

Note: If you try to enter GAIA before this mission, you can clear out all the big enemies and make your path to the entrance, but you won't be able to enter the area as crucial climbing steps are missing that presumably get added during the main story.

Once you're here as part of the quest, climb up the yellow ladder to enter Sylens' workshop. Speak to Sylens, then climb down the elevator shaft and rappel down into the ruins.

Before following your objective marker to the right and continuing deeper into the mountain, turn left and walk north. You will see a different colored area up on top of the rock to the left. Climb up the rubble ahead of you and head into the blue-lit cave ahead of you.

You will find the final Power Cell on a shelf in the back room.

There you have it, with all five Power Cells collected, make your way to the Ancient Armory, where you'll need to solve a series of puzzles in order to claim your prize.