How to beat Annihilation in Remnant 2? The Annihilation awaits you at the game’s closing stages and it is the biggest challenge yet. This is the toughest foe that you’ll face in the entire game, and it will truly test your mettle due to devastating attacks and mind-bending mechanics. Our Remnant 2 Annihilation guide discusses what you can expect from this battle, and how you can succeed.
With the game available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, you’ll likely progress through its dynamic campaign after around 20 hours or so given the Remnant 2 length. Along the way, we suggest looking for the best Remnant 2 weapons, best Remnant 2 rings, and best Remnant 2 amulets to prepare you for the battle ahead. Please be aware that this guide contains major spoilers for the end of the game and this information was obtained during our Remnant 2 review playthrough.
How to beat Annihilation in Remnant 2
To defeat the Remnant 2 Annihilation boss, you need to:
- Choose classes that can help with survivability – We suggest using the Medic and the Handler, as they’re two of the best Remnant 2 classes in the game. The Medic has handy healing capabilities, while the Handler has a dog companion that can revive you.
- Focus on its head as it’s the weak spot – Shooting its head deals double the damage.
- Watch out for its vicious sword strikes, explosive projectiles, and debilitating tendrils during phase 1 – Annihilation has multiple attacks that you need to avoid.
- Be ready for its attacks and teleportation shifts during phase 2 – The boss will also cause teleportation shifts once you reach the second phase.
- Survive the onslaught during phase 3 – The third phase is where you need to survive against numerous enemy mobs.
Annihilation fight – first phase
The Annihilation final boss has the following abilities during the first phase:
- Overhead Sword Slam – When the boss is high up in the air, it will bring down its sword after a short delay.
- Reaving Sword Lunge – When the boss arches half of its body, it’s preparing a sword thrust that’s slightly delayed.
- Furious Sword Shockwave – Reaving Sword Lunge is usually followed by the boss crashing down and causing a shockwave.
- Megaton Orbs – Multiple orbs will surround your opponent. You can shoot these to destroy them. After a few seconds, any that are still around will fly toward you and explode.
- Grasping Tendrils – Arcs of lightning will appear in the area. Accidentally moving toward one will cause a Root-corrupted vine to immobilize you. Press the button prompt to free yourself before you get hit.
The first phase of this battle is all about avoiding attacks. The boss flies around the arena, so take note of its attack animations and sequences. Its attacks can deal a lot of damage, but they are telegraphed quite clearly. Getting hit can be problematic since your foe usually follows up with yet another strike.
Your biggest problem here is the Megaton Orb spell, as there are roughly six orbs that you need to destroy. Take your time shooting them, then dodge out of the way just as the rest fly toward you.
Annihilation fight – second phase
Once you’ve fully depleted the boss’ HP bar, it’s time for the second phase. Annihilation will split open its head, revealing another entity residing within its body. You’ll then get teleported to a smaller arena, where you have to beware of its new abilities:
- Vicious Vine Tendrils – Six vines will appear on the floor. Some will slam to the side, while others will slam toward the middle.
- Sword Swipe – The boss will either do an overhead swing or a cutting swipe along the area. Both can be avoided via a well-timed dodge.
- Cross Beam – A laser array will appear and move toward you.
- Blight Pool – Periodically, parts of the ground will appear coated with red glitches. These will cause a Blight effect to stack, so make sure you move away from the spot.
- Megaton Raze – This is similar to the Megaton Orb ability from phase 1. However, due to cramped corners and the boss’ resistance, you’ll need to be mindful of other hazards, too.
- Teleport Shift – This is the most concerning mechanic in this phase, which we explain below.
The boss will constantly shift between the phase 1 and phase 2 arenas, as well as its respective forms. For instance, you might be shooting the boss in the cramped room, but then it’ll teleport you to the larger arena where it’s flying around.
This can cause problems since you might be focused on your target’s location in one spot, but then it’ll be somewhere else when the shift occurs. This is usually followed by a deadly melee attack. Always pay attention to the teleport’s occurrence, and be ready to dodge the incoming strike.
Annihilation fight – third phase
After you fully deplete the Remnant 2 final boss’ health, a cutscene will play. This leads to the third phase, which is all about survival.
Annihilation will not have an HP bar anymore, but dozens of Root Creatures will start spawning. You’ll need to survive for roughly 30 seconds by shooting enemies or by using healing abilities, such as the Medic’s Wellspring. Once enough time passes, the boss will die.
For your efforts, you’ll receive the following rewards:
- Forgotten Memory – Used to craft the Alpha/Omega long gun.
- Broken Compass – Used to unlock the Explorer class.
- Scholar trait – Increases XP gains by up to 15% at level 10. We consider it one of the best Remnant 2 traits in the game.
- 1x Tome of Knowledge
- 6x Lumenite Crystal
- 825x Scrap
With a bit of patience and luck, you’ll be able to beat Annihilation in Remnant 2. Don’t forget that this also unlocks the Remnant 2 Apocalypse difficulty if you want more of a challenge. This is the hardest of the Remnant 2 difficulty levels. For other tips, you can visit our Remnant 2 walkthrough article for additional loot, classes to unlock, and build recommendations.