Where to Find the Secret Keys in DOOM: The Dark Ages - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of DOOM: The Dark Ages takes us to Hebeth — a planet crawling with a fresh batch of demons to rip and tear. Things heat up fast here: new enemies like Stone Imps and the hulking Mancubus make their debut, and combat becomes noticeably more intense. But don’t charge in blindly, bloodlust in your eyes — if you want to truly experience everything this chapter has to offer, it’s worth slowing down and exploring the map carefully.

This area hides nine secret zones. Some of them are simple bonus rooms filled with gold, while others contain valuable finds like a collectible toy, a lore codex, or an armor skin. You’ll discover hidden passages behind breakable walls, crawl through ventilation shafts, solve fire-based puzzles, and even stumble into secret combat arenas with extra fights.

All Chapter 2 Secrets in DOOM: The Dark Ages

I’ve put together a detailed guide to help you find every secret hidden in this chapter. To be honest, most of these are here for completionists — they add some extra lore and let you push that progress bar to 100%. But there are also more valuable finds, and I’ll make sure to point those out as we go.

If you’re aiming for full completion or just don’t want to miss anything important — this guide is exactly what you need. And if you somehow landed here without finishing Chapter 1 yet, I recommend checking out Where to Find the Secret Keys in DOOM: The Dark Ages – Chapter 1 — a similar walkthrough where I guide you from the first hidden room to the very last.

Secret Area 1

As soon as you enter the weapons facility at the beginning of the chapter, don’t rush straight ahead. Take a moment to look around — in the first room, on your left, you’ll spot a cracked door marked with a blue sigil. It might look like background detail, but it’s not. Grab your shield and smash it open.

Behind the door, a small group of cultists will be waiting, so be ready for a quick fight. Once they’re dealt with, head down the narrow hallway — at the very end, you’ll find a Life Sigil. Definitely worth picking up if you want to boost your survivability.

Secret Area 2

Once you enter the second room of the weapons facility, deal with the enemies first — there's no moving forward without clearing them out. After the fight, head up the staircase, but don’t follow the waypoint just yet. Instead of going left like the game suggests, turn right. Walk along the upper platform all the way to the end — there, you’ll spot a few stacked crates.

Climb on top of them and crawl into a small opening in the wall. It doesn’t look like a real path, but that’s the trick — this is where the secret area is hidden. You’ll drop down into a concealed room, where you’ll find the Imp Stalker toy, one of the chapter’s collectible items.

To exit the area, keep moving forward through the tunnel. At the end, a superheated metal gate blocks your way — just throw your shield at it, and the path will open again.

Hebeth Lore Codex Entry

When you reach the third section of the weapons facility, watch your step — you’ll need to drop down from the upper catwalk to the lower platform below. Enemies will be waiting, so be ready for another fight. Once the area is clear, look ahead: there’s a door highlighted with green lights, signaling it’s interactable.

Step inside and immediately look to your left. There are some crates stacked up — they might seem like background clutter, but you can actually climb over them. Do that, and you’ll find yourself in a small hidden spot where a group of friendly NPCs is taking cover.

Near them, leaning against the wall, is the Hebeth Lore Codex Entry — a lore page that dives deeper into the history and significance of the planet Hebeth in DOOM: The Dark Ages. Don’t skip it — it’s an important piece of world-building for those who enjoy the game’s story.

Secret Area 3

This is one of those secrets that’s easy to miss if you’re too focused on the main objective. After you complete the Gold tutorial and interact with the Sentinel Shrine, don’t rush toward the next waypoint. Instead, exit the room through the nearest door and turn right.

Walk a short distance and you’ll come across a towering knight statue and a door blocked by a red energy barrier. Just before that door, you’ll spot a crack in the floor — and across from it, a wall you can climb. It doesn’t stand out much at first, but if you look closely, you’ll notice climbable textures near the top.

Head up the wall and you’ll enter a narrow ventilation shaft leading to a hidden room. Inside, you’ll face a Stone Imp (so stay sharp), and you’ll find five gold pieces as your reward — a small but satisfying bonus for players who take their time to explore.

Secret Area 4

After your first encounter with the Stone Imps — and after you’ve turned them into dust — keep moving forward through the doors just beyond the Sentinel Shrine. You’ll soon enter a room with a striking blue forcefield blocking the path ahead.

But your goal isn’t forward — it’s off to the side. Think back to where the Imps came from — there’s a hole in the wall they burst through. That’s your entry point. Head into the gap and continue down the narrow corridor to the left.

At the end, you’ll reach a short staircase and what looks like a regular wall — but take a closer look. You’ll see visible cracks and a nearby Shield Charge icon. Simple solution: charge up and smash through the wall with your shield.

Behind it is a small, hidden room with a stash of gold. It’s not the flashiest secret in the game, but it’s the kind of discovery that makes exploration in DOOM: The Dark Ages so satisfying.

Secret Area 5

After unlocking the Blue Keycard door near the Sentinel Shrine, don’t get distracted by the surroundings — right beneath your feet is a hatch you’ll need to drop into. Down below, demons are already waiting, so handle the ambush first.

Once the room is clear, take a moment to look around. In the adjacent area, to the left of the Atlan helmet hologram, you’ll notice a small niche in the wall. Inside is a vent shaft sealed with a metal cover — and more importantly, it’s marked with the Shield Charge icon. You know the drill: line up and smash it with your shield.

Inside the vent, you’ll find five gold pieces and a Life Sigil — a great reward, especially if you’re burning through health and resources. To get back out, keep crawling through the vent until you reach another sealed exit. Once again, use your shield to break it open and return to the main path.

Secret Area 6

This one isn’t your typical “see it, grab it” kind of secret — here, you’ll need to think a bit. At some point, you’ll come across a locked room filled with stacks of gold, clearly visible through a doorway. The catch? That doorway is completely blocked by three massive fire columns, and trying to run through will turn you into toast instantly.

To shut off the flames, you’ll have to locate a gas line and a valve that cuts off fuel to the flamethrowers. The tricky part is that both are located in a neighboring room, and the path to get there isn’t obvious. This puzzle takes some attention to detail — and a bit of problem-solving.

If you want a full breakdown of each step without missing anything, I recommend checking out the Hebeth chapter walkthrough. It includes a step-by-step solution to this fire trap. And yes — the reward is absolutely worth the effort. Inside is a hidden treasure room that’s one of the most rewarding finds in the entire chapter.

Secret Area 7

Once you’ve solved the fire door puzzle and survived the large-scale battle with demons in the Titan arena, don’t rush ahead just yet. Take a moment to look around — after the fight, a previously locked side door to the left will quietly unlock.

Step inside, and you’ll find no enemies, no traps — just eight neatly arranged gold bars, tucked away in a quiet corner. It’s a pure bonus for the observant — and a well-earned reward for taking down that towering beast.

Secret Area 8

After crossing the point of no return and learning the new move — the Shield Recall Jump — stay alert. Right after jumping across the gap, take a look around. Just to the left, near a gold chest, there’s a hole in the wall that leads into a narrow passage.

Crawl through and start climbing — you’ll find yourself inside an upper ventilation shaft running above the Sentinel Shrine platform. This spot is easy to miss, especially if you’re laser-focused on the objective and not in the habit of peeking into dark corners.

But if you found your way in — congrats. A little farther down the path, behind a crate, lies a generous reward: 50 gold pieces. One of the most valuable secret stashes in the chapter, and a well-deserved prize for players who take the time to explore.

Secret Area 9

This secret is hiding just a few steps away from the previous one — in the same room where you learned the Shield Recall Jump and spotted the green jump node. Once again, it’s all about being observant and a bit agile.

Start by climbing the wall near the Sentinel Shrine. Once you’re up top, turn left — you’ll see a stack of crates. Climb on top of them and you’ll spot the entrance to a ventilation shaft — easy to miss if you’re only looking from below.

Crawl through the narrow passage, and before long, you’ll come across eight gold pieces scattered on the ground. But don’t stop there — keep going. The tunnel drops you into a sealed room, and here’s where things get interesting: lying on the floor is the rare Shredder Nightmare Skin.

The moment you pick it up, the door will burst open and enemies will flood in — Shield Soldiers and a Mancubus. Get ready for a tough fight. Once you clear the room, the path forward opens up — marking the end of your journey through all the hidden secrets of Chapter 2.

Are Secret Keys Hard to Find in DOOM: The Dark Ages?

Calling them difficult wouldn’t be quite right — but they’re definitely easy to miss in the heat of battle. Levels in DOOM: The Dark Ages are designed in such a way that nearly every corner, ledge, or staircase might be hiding something useful. The catch? The game doesn’t hold your hand. No arrows, no glowing indicators, no pop-up tips — it all depends on your curiosity and how closely you pay attention.

Most secrets aren’t far from the main path. Sometimes they’re hidden behind a breakable wall, sometimes it’s just a plain-looking door you might rush past without noticing. But if you slow down and really look around, they’re not that hard to find.

Some hidden areas offer real gameplay benefits — like Life Sigils that boost your max health or extra resources to help you survive tougher fights. Others are purely cosmetic: toys, skins, lore entries. They don’t make you stronger, but they absolutely make the world feel richer and more rewarding to explore.

In truth, the only players who are likely to miss them are those who sprint through every level at full speed. For everyone else, just a bit of awareness goes a long way. Especially if you're aiming for 100% completion — or simply don’t want to miss something cool — it’s worth checking every corner.