Armored Core 6: How to get the true ending in AC6

AC6 has multiple endings, and you'll need to finish the game several times to see the real one.

621 in their armored core looking out over a crimson sky. Giant structures loom large in the red sky above a reflective pool of calm water
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Armored Core 6 has multiple endings, and the game never makes it clear how to unlock them, including the “true” ending. It’s not unusual for you to find yourself going down a path you didn’t intend after your mission choices.

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AC6 has two endings that you can unlock on your first playthrough, but the true ending only comes after you’ve beaten the game twice—once on your first run, and once again on new game plus. This is because certain options only appear in new game plus plus (NG++) after you’ve beaten the game twice, and there’s no way to make them appear sooner.

It’s a bit of an endeavor to get there, but it’s worth it, especially since the new missions that appear are refreshingly challenging and contain new secrets to find, like coral parts and weapons. If you want to know how to unlock the real, third ending of AC6, look no further than this guide.

How to unlock AC6‘s true ending

In AC6, new choices appear in NG+ and NG++ that lead to branching paths in the story. AC6’s true ending is called the Alea Lacta Est ending, which is Latin for “the die is cast.” For this path to be available, you need to be on NG++, and it doesn’t matter which ending you chose in your previous playthroughs.

To reach this ending in NG++, you need to make the following choices:

On the Attack the Dam Complex mission in chapter one, accept the Rubicon Liberation Front’s offer to betray your allies and defeat G4 Volta and G5 Iguazu.

In chapter three, choose the Prevent Corporate Salvage of New Tech mission. This mission is mutually exclusive with Tunnel Sabotage, so make sure you don’t accidentally complete the latter.

In chapter four, choose the Coral Export Denial mission, which is an alternative choice to Survey the Uninhabited Floating City.

Later on in chapter four, choose the Eliminate V-III mission.

This set of choices will see you unlocking the Alea Lacta Est ending, which is undoubtedly the true ending to AC6.

Author
Image of Tom Foley
Tom Foley
Tom is the UK Associate Editor for Dot Esports. He's the former TCG Editor for CBR and has a Master's degree in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh. Tom spent six years as a Science Editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, and AstraZeneca before leaving science to pursue his dream career in gaming at the start of 2023. He loves MMOs, RPGs, TCGs, and pretty much every game by FromSoftware—especially Dark Souls.