The Mesa biome is the first new level added to PEAK since the game launched in early 2025. It replaced the Alpine biome as the third level of every PEAK playthrough for the first week of release, but the game will alternate between the Alpine and Mesa biomes in the future.
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In PEAK, Mesa is a tough level to beat, and you'll need to use all of your survival wits to make it through the scorching, rocky desert while avoiding tornadoes, antlion dens, dynamite, and other new hazards. Follow this guide to learn how to beat the new Mesa biome in PEAK using these best tips to survive the Mesa level's rocky, blistering terrain.
8 Stick To The Shadows
Avoid the Blistering Sun by Moving From Shadow to Shadow
The main hazard that players must avoid to survive the Mesa biome in PEAK is the sun. While the Caldera and the Kiln will burn you with lava and fire, the Mesa level features a gigantic, incinerating sun that burns you if you are out in the open. It's an incredibly difficult mechanic to work with, but if you know what to do, it's far from impossible.
To survive the Mesa biome, PEAK players must stick to the shadows and spend as little time in the direct sunlight as possible. There are a few ways to mitigate the fire damage from the sun in the zone, like the new Sunblock and Aloe Vera items.
Plan your movements carefully and scout ahead for shadows you can dart to while the sun is in the sky.
If you manage to keep your Heat level under 10% of your stamina bar in the Mesa biome, you will earn the Cool Cucumber Badge.
7 ... Or Wait Until Nightfall
The Sun Can't Burn You At Night
Because the Heat mechanic of the new Mesa level is tied to being in direct sunlight, if you wait until the sun goes down, you can safely traverse the desert and canyon of the Mesa biome without taking heat damage.
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To do this, you must find an enclosed space that is out of the way of the sun, preferably a short way into the biome to avoid the encroaching fog.
Wait out the day-night cycle of PEAK and as soon as the sun goes down, go on your merry way toward the mesa to progress through the biome. You're not completely in the clear at night, though. In fact, the low light makes it harder to tell where other Mesa hazards are – like Dynamite and Cacti.
6 Don't Avoid Dynamite – Pick It Up
Throw Dynamite Away Instead Of Panicking
One of the new items included with the Mesa update for PEAK is Dynamite. You can't get unlit Dyamite to use at your own discretion – it can only be found on the ground throughout the Mesa biome. If you get close to a stick of dynamite, it will light and billow black smoke for a few seconds before letting off a huge AoE explosion. This deals enormous damage.
Instead of running away, it's better to run toward the stick of dynamite. It won't light until you get close, so quickly turn to the direction of the fuse, pick it up, and hold down your Throw key to launch it into the distance. If you panic and run away, there is a possibility you will run straight into another stick of dynamite, a cactus, or an antlion den.
5 Avoid Cacti As Much As Possible
Remove Spikes From Stuck Teammates To Restore Their Stamina
Cacti are extremely dangerous. Touching a cactus in the Mesa biome will inflict a Thorns status effect, which only goes away once you pull out the cactus thorns from your body. Additionally, you can get stuck to a cactus, which will continually build up the Thorns meter until you are able to break off.
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Most of the time, cacti spawn in groups, and it can be next to impossible to tear yourself out without running into another. Play it safe and avoid touching cacti at all costs, especially if you are near the tornado.
4 If You're Near a Tornado, Get Away From Cacti
Tornadoes Can Launch You Into Cacti, Which Build Thorns Damage
Tornadoes are one of the unique environmental hazards of the Mesa zone. If you get too close to the tornado, which moves around the first half of the Mesa biome, PEAK players will be launched into the air in a random direction.
If you have a Parasol item, you can use this to your advantage and cover a huge distance.
But under normal circumstances, getting sucked into a tornado is a surefire way to get launched into a cactus and take both falling damage and get hopelessly stuck in a compromised position, rendering you helpless against increasing Thorns damage.
If you are unable to get away from an oncoming tornado, do your best to get away from any nearby cacti. If you are lucky, you'll just get thrown a short distance, and not into a patch of prickly pears.
3 Find Ways To Heal Heat
Aloe Vera Is The Easiest & Most Accessible Method To Remove Heat
One of the best new items included in the Mesa update is Aloe Vera. There are a few consumables unique to the Mesa biome, like Prickly Berries, which restore Hunger but inflict Thorns, and Aloe Vera, which heals Heat damage.
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You can find Sunscreen and Parasols from luggage crates throughout the game, but these take up an item slot, and you can't rely on them to spawn. Parasols can be used to float down from a height and protect you from the sun, while Sunscreen is exclusively used to protect against Heat damage.
Look for the familiar long, sharp fronds of this plant throughout the first half of the Mesa biome, where they are more likely to spawn. Consume one to cure all but the most intense Heat damage.
2 Use Pickaxes Like Temporary Pitons
The Longer You Hang, The More It Dislodges From The Cliff
In the Canyon area of the Mesa biome, players must cross a large ravine. On the sides of the canyon wall you may see some pickaxes embedded in the rock. Like the rusty pitons you can find in the Alpine biome, you can hang off of pickaxes while climbing to regain stamina – but be careful.
Like rusty pitons, if you hang on one of these for too long, it will break. Listen for the sound of the rock cracking as the pickaxe dislodges itself, and don't hang on for longer than you need to in case you fall.
1 Keep An Eye Out For Capybaras
Like the Alpine Biome, the Capybara Pool Mitigates the Mesa's Heat
One of the best parts of the Alpine biome is the Capybara Hot Springs, which heals the Frostbite damage inflicted by the zone's harsh blizzards. Capybaras also appear in the Mesa biome with a mirrored effect. Instead of warming Frostbite damage, their cooling oasis pool will soothe your Heat damage if you can find it in the Mesa biome.
You can use this pool to get the Animal Serenading Badge if you bring a Bugle with you to the Mesa biome.
Additionally, one Capybara will always spawn with a Winterberry on its nose. This can also be used to mitigate the effects of the blistering Mesa sun.
PEAK
- Released
- June 16, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
