If you’ve wandered into a dungeon in Code Vein 2, cleared everything in sight, and ended up staring at a locked door behind a big empty arena, you’re not alone.
It looks important, it feels like you missed something obvious, and it absolutely gives off “there has to be a switch somewhere” energy. You might even backtrack through the entire Sunken City dungeon thinking you skipped a lever, a key, or a hidden enemy trigger.
And yeah, the game offers zero explanation, which only makes it more confusing.
Good news: you didn’t miss anything, and the locked door in Sunken City is not bugged. This is one of those moments where Code Vein 2 quietly gates progression behind story content instead of mechanics. The door is meant to stay locked when you first find it, and it only opens later once specific conditions tied to the story are met.
Why This Door Won’t Open (Yet)
That locked door on the east side of Sunken City is story-gated in Code Vein 2. There’s no key item to find, no switch hidden behind a wall, no alternate route you somehow missed, and no puzzle waiting to be solved. No matter how thoroughly you explore the dungeon, the game simply will not allow the door to open when you first encounter it.
The reason is simple: this door is tied directly to Josee’s questline. It only unlocks once you start and progress through her requests later in the game. Until those story conditions are met, the door is meant to stay closed, even if everything else in the area has been cleared.
How to Actually Open the Door
Here’s exactly what you need to do to open the locked door in Sunken City — no guesswork involved and no hidden mechanics to worry about.
First, progress the main story until you defeat Blind Josee. This encounter happens naturally after completing Sunken City in Code Vein 2, so you can’t miss it or accidentally skip it. If you haven’t fought Blind Josee yet, the door will stay locked no matter what.
Next, make sure you’ve unlocked additional regions, specifically areas like the Forest and Scar zones. These unlock through normal story progression and are required before Josee’s requests become available.
After that, enter the Free Era (2197) once era switching is unlocked. This step is important, as Josee’s side quests are only available during this phase.
Now, talk to Josee and start her Requests (side quests). While these are technically optional, they are mandatory if you want this door to open.
Finally, continue completing Josee’s requests. During one of the later requests, the locked door in the Sunken City dungeon will open automatically. There’s nothing special you need to do at the door itself — the game unlocks it once the correct quest flag is triggered.
When Does the Door Open?
❌ Not during your first visit to Sunken City
The locked door is meant to block early progression, even if you fully clear the dungeon.
❌ Not immediately after beating the area
Finishing Sunken City or defeating its boss alone isn’t enough to unlock it.
✅ Mid-to-late game, during Josee’s request chain
The door only opens once you’ve progressed far enough into Josee’s requests, which become available later in the story.
If Josee isn’t offering requests yet, the door remaining locked is completely normal. Just keep progressing the main story and check back once her side quests are unlocked.
Is the Door Bugged or Missable?
Nope — and nope.
The locked door in Sunken City is not bugged, and it’s not tied to any glitch or broken trigger. You don’t need to reload the area, restart the game, swap companions, or mess with difficulty settings. If the door won’t open, it simply means you haven’t reached the correct point in the story yet.
More importantly, you cannot permanently miss this door. As long as you continue playing Code Vein 2 and complete Josee’s requests, you will gain access naturally. The game unlocks it automatically once the required quest progression is met, no extra steps required.
Quick Wrapping up
- The locked door is located in Sunken City’s east-side dungeon
- The large empty arena in front of it is intentional and story-related
- The door is tied directly to Josee’s Requests
- You must progress her questline during the Free Era
- The door opens automatically later once the correct story flag is triggered
Perfect for a quick skim if you just want the answer and don’t care about the details.
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