Horizon Forbidden West cauldron locations: All cauldrons and machine override unlocks in Horizon

Publish date: 2023-03-09

Just like Horizon: Zero Dawn, you can find a number of cauldrons in Horizon: Forbidden West.

After completing each cauldron, Aloy once again gains the ability to override different machines throughout the world. Exploring the cauldrons also counts towards 100% completion of the game.

So, in order to get different machines on your side and do cool stuff like fly around the world on a Sunwing, you should explore the cauldrons. Here's where to find each cauldron location, how to get in and what to expect.

On this page:

Horizon Zero Dawn Story Explained Part 1: Project Zero Dawn And How Humanity Went Extinct

If you'd like to learn more about Horizon: Forbidden West, check out our pouch upgrades, door code for Death's Door mission, Tallneck in Cinnabar Sands and levelling and skill points pages.

How machine overrides work in Horizon: Forbidden West

Likely due to the large number of machines to override, overrides work a little differently in Forbidden West than they did in the previous game. This time around, some machine overrides are available as soon as you complete a cauldron, while other machines can be overridden as soon as you hand in some machine parts at the fabrication terminal at your hub.

The machine parts you need always come from the machine you're trying to get an override for - as you can see in the above screenshot, I needed Plowhorn parts in order to unlock the Plowhorn override. The parts needed for overrides are slightly rare, so be prepared to fight several machines to get what you need.

Aloy starts the game with the ability to override the Charger and ride it, but you can also ride the Bristleback and Clawstrider, and override the Sunwing in order to fly on it.

Horizon: Forbidden West Cauldrons explained

There are a total of six cauldrons in Horizon: Forbidden West. Two of these are part of the main story and can't be accessed unless you play the associated quests, the rest are optional and can be found throughout the map.

Each rewards you with a good amount of XP, skill points and overrides for several machines. Remember that once you enter a cauldron, you can't leave until you've completed it - inside, you will have to do some climbing to find your way around, fight several regular machines and a boss, so make sure you're prepared.

Repair Bay TAU location and machine overrides

This cauldron is part of the main quest and can't be accessed until you get to it in the story. After you've completed TAU, the other cauldrons will become available.

Level: 15

Override upon cauldron completion: Bristleback

Override with machine parts at the hub: Plowhorn, Grimhorn

XP: 9,000, 2 skill points

Cauldron MU location and machine overrides

MU is easy enough to find - it's south of Plainsong and the way in is visible as soon as you get close enough from the road leading to it.

The entrance is guarded by a heard of Leaplashers and a few Watchers, but as soon as you have defeated them, you can simply enter the cauldron by overriding the front door.

Level: 18

Override upon cauldron completion: Scrounger, Burrower, Grazer

Override with machine parts at the hub: Fanghorn, Widemaw, Scrapper

XP: 8,000, 3 skill points

Cauldron IOTA location and machine overrides

This cauldron sits in the snowy mountains near the edge of the map, north from Scalding Spear.

A few Leaplashers once again patrol the surrounding area. Once you find it, it turns out that there is no regular door through which to enter, since the entrance seems to sit in the ground.

If you set this cauldron as your active quest in the quest menu, you can see the rough location of the alternative entrance on the map - walk to a gorge to the west of where you first found the cauldron. There, a few watchers will bury their way out of the ground and attack you. Defeat them, then go deeper into the gorge until you enter a cave. Simply keep going down the cave until you find IOTA's real entrance.

Level: 22

Override upon cauldron completion: Leaplasher, Longleg, Lancehorn, Glinthawk

Override with machine parts at the hub: Clawstrider, Bellowback, Snapmaw, Skydrifter, Rollerback, Ravager

XP: 7,500, 2 skill points

Cauldron GEMINI location and machine overrides

GEMINI is another story dungeon. Once you start the main quest, the game will take you there automatically, and there is no other way to revisit it.

Doing the GEMINI mission locks in into the main quest for a while, so keep that in mind if there is anything you would like to complete first.

Level: 30

Override upon cauldron completion: Sunwing

Override with machine parts at the hub: None

XP: 24,000, 2 skill points

Cauldron CHAI location and machine overrides

In the jungles near Thornmarsh sits Cauldron CHI, and due to its location it's probably no wonder that its entrance is grown shut with vines when you get there.

Keep an eye out for watchers and especially for stalkers in the surrounding area, as stalkers have a cloaking device that makes them difficult to spot. If you need help finding a useable entrance, you can once again activate the quest in the quest menu and then check the map, but it's not too far from you - to the east you can find a rock face with a river basin, here you can grapple up to lip in the stone and enter the cauldron.

Level: 30

Override upon cauldron completion: Redeye Watcher, Behemoth, Shellwalker, Clamberjaw, Frostclaw

Override with machine parts at the hub: Fireclaw, Scrocher, Spikesnout, Shellsnapper, Stalker

XP: 12,500, 3 skill points

Aloy has returned in Horizon: Forbidden West! To help you get started in her new quest, visit our pages on how levelling and skill points work, along with how to upgrade your inventory pouches. We’ve also looked at how to climb the Tallneck in Cinnabar Sands, cauldron locations and the door code for Death’s Door mission.

Cauldron KAPPA location and machine overrides

KAPPA is a cauldron on the beach, close to the sea and north of the Bulwark settlement. When you approach, a Snapmaw and a Shellsnapper will be waiting for you.

While you can override both if you've completed the previous cauldrons and gathered their parts, the beach is open enough it may be difficult to sneak up - and the Shellsnapper is a big fight.

The entrance to the cauldron lies partially underwater - simply swim up to the door and dive. Kappa has several underwater sections where you need to dodge machines and hide in kelp before you've changed the water levels enough to fight them on dry land. You can't attempt this cauldron until you've finished the Sea of Sands main quest (level 22).

Level: 40

Override upon cauldron completion: Tremortusk, Tideripper, Rockbreaker, Stormbird

Override with machine parts at the hub: Thunderjaw, Slaughterspine, Slitherfang, Dreadwing