The Great Hollow is one of the biggest twists introduced in Elden Ring Nightreign’s Shifting Earth system. Unlike earlier world shifts that altered a single region, this one reshapes the entire Forsaken Hollows and applies a punishing modifier that you cannot ignore. Anyone who enters the new strongholds will immediately notice their max HP drop to half — the result of a crystal curse tied to this event. Progress becomes difficult, and rune farming slows to a crawl until the curse is lifted.
The objective is simple but demands exploration: locate and destroy the smaller crystals scattered across the region, then claim the reward from the massive Great Crystal at the map’s core. Doing this restores your full health and unlocks a late-event advantage that helps with castle clearing and relic farming.
What is the Great Hollow Event?
The Great Hollow is a Shifting Earth worldstate where the terrain reforms, new points of interest emerge, and a global curse applies. During this event, entering major structures — castles, forts, ruin complexes — reduces your max HP to 50%. This condition remains active until you break the Great Crystal’s influence.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2
The challenge, then, is to neutralize the curse before committing to serious combat routes, especially if you are gearing up for Nightreign bosses.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough: Breaking the Crystal Curse
The event revolves around interacting with a chain of resonance points — large blue crystals that fracture the Great Crystal’s hold on the region.
1. Search the Hollows for Blue Crystals
Across the event zone, you will find large glowing blue crystals protruding from terrain walls, cliffside plateaus, and abandoned site paths. Their placements vary between runs, which means map knowledge matters less than awareness and exploration.
Approach any one of them and you will get an option to Resonate. Interacting shatters the crystal and prompts a message that the central Great Crystal is cracking.
2. Destroy Four Crystals to Trigger the Break
The Great Crystal does not fall immediately. You must break four of the blue resonance crystals across the zone before the event advances. There are typically more than four available — usually around eight total — but only four are required to complete the sequence.
Crystals can be destroyed on day one if you explore actively; however, if you miss some, the game marks them on your map when day two begins. Use this to sweep stragglers quickly and avoid extra travel.
3. Head to the Center of the Map
Once the fourth crystal falls, the Great Crystal shatters. A marker appears on your map, flagging its location. The center zone is now safe to approach and contains the final interaction needed to end the curse.
4. Interact With the Broken Great Crystal
Climb or drop into the fracture, depending on approach angle, and interact with the energy inside. This completes The Great Hollow event, removes the HP-halving curse, and grants an additional buff that increases art charge rate when you have depleted all flasks.
You now regain full health inside major castles — the ideal time to begin farming gear, relics, and rune-dense encounters that were previously high-risk. Play Now!
Tips to Finish the Event Efficiently
| Objective | Best Strategy |
|---|---|
| Find crystals quickly | Follow ridge lines and castle approach roads; crystal glow is visible at distance. |
| Maximize day-one progress | Destroy crystals as soon as they’re found to avoid route backtracking later. |
| Entering castles early | Only attempt pre-completion if fully confident — half HP drastically shifts boss math. |
| Keep mobility tools ready | Torrent-style traversal or elevated jumps help reach crystal plateaus faster. |
Read More:
More Gaming Guides
- 01FC 26 Frostbite Finisher Evolution Best Players – Top Strikers to Upgrade
- 02Where to Find Advanced Electrical Components in ARC Raiders
- 03All Wishblossom Ranch Recipes in Disney Dreamlight Valley
- 04How to Find Tomo’s Lost Cat in The Forge – Complete Quest Walkthrough
- 05Diablo 4 Goblin Event Rewards and Loot Guide
- 0610 Best Minecraft Pocket Edition Seeds to Try Right Now
- 07Arknights Endfield Release Date, Platforms, Gameplay, and What to Expect
- Elden Ring Nightreign Sentient Pest Bug Fix: Patch 1.01.5 Solves Major Boss Fight Issues
- How to Get Sovereign Sigils in Elden Ring Nightreign and Unlock Collector Signboard Rewards
- Elden Ring Nightreign Relic Storage Limit Explained: Why Players Are Hitting a Hidden Cap
- How to Get and Use the Wraith Calling Bell in Elden Ring Nightreign
- How to Beat Augur in Elden Ring Nightreign: Strategy, Builds & Sleep Counters
