PEAK's first major content update introduced a Mesa biome. Each week, there's a chance you'll encounter this level partway through the game, allowing you to survive in the middle of a massive desert filled with dust devils, caves, and more. Here are some strategies for beating the Mesa in PEAK.
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How to find the Mesa level in PEAK
The Mesa biome is the third level that appears in PEAK. For one week starting on August 11, 2025, you're guaranteed to find this biome after beating the Tropics. From there on out, the third level on future maps will randomly rotate between Alpine and Mesa.
Before this update, the third level for every map was Alpine, a snow-filled biome with constant snowstorms, frozen rocks to send a chill down your spine, and an adorable capybara hot spring. While it'll be gone for a week during the Mesa biome's initial launch, it'll return a week later, so you don't have to worry about missing out on it forever.
Strategies to beat the Mesa biome in PEAK
PEAK's Mesa biome is a large desert that's split into three distinct sections. Initially, you'll have a relatively flat terrain with rock formations to climb up for potential luggage bags. As you approach the mountain, you'll find a cavern to cross before climbing the desert's mountain and beating the level.
Your first major threat is heat. While Alpine has snowstorms, Mesa has heat that'll burn you alive if you stand in the sun. You'll need to hide under some shade to avoid taking damage from it. Just watch out for dust devils, as they can catch you in their swirling winds and launch you into unexpected spots. Sunscreen, parasols, and aloe vera are the key to surviving against this constant threat.
Along the way, you'll find cactuses that spawn prickleberries. Although you can eat these to restore some hunger, you'll gain a cactus-specific status ailment that reduces your total stamina. Similarly, running into a cactus will cause you to get stuck and develop this status. You can recover your stamina by pulling thorns off your body.
You'll also find several enemies in the Mesa. From scorpions that pull you around the map to Antlions that hide in suspicious-looking sandpits, you'll have multiple obstacles to tackle while climbing this mountain. Overall, your safest bet from the get-go is to watch your step and not interact with anything overly dangerous or suspicious during your climb.
As you climb its mountain, you'll find plenty of luggage bags containing useful goodies, like you would on other maps. You'll also spot pickaxes that act as temporary pitons. As you hold them, watch the mountain's wall, as there's a chance the pickaxe will break away from its surface and cause you to fall unexpectedly.
Speaking of unexpected encounters, you'll also find dynamite throughout the Mesa. Although this can make for some funny interactions, its proximity activation can cause you to walk into its explosion without realizing it's about to blow. If you hear a distinct sizzle nearby, run away quickly.
As long as you avoid stepping into the sun too much, watch your surroundings for dynamite, and don't open any suspicious luggage bags, your strategy for climbing through Mesa won't differ too much from other levels. Its cave system adds some extra challenges while equally serving as an opportunity to grab more supplies for later levels. Otherwise, it's all about climbing up, keeping your stamina high (with items), and using ledges to your advantage.
The post How to find and beat the Mesa in PEAK appeared first on Destructoid.
