PEAK’s Mesa update added ten badges, each earned through a specific Mesa challenge: find and deliver an idol, use particular items, survive hazards, or reach the next campfire. The badge conditions below reflect community guides; if a trigger does not register, use the description on the game’s current Accolades screen as the final authority.
All 10 Mesa badge conditions at a glance
| Badge | Reported unlock condition | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Karat | Find the Tomb in Mesa, solve its parkour puzzle, take the Ancient Idol to The Kiln or The Citadel, and drop it into lava. | The Tomb may not appear on every map rotation. The later route description names The Kiln or The Citadel; check the current in-game wording if the destination differs. |
| Aeronautics | Equip six balloons on one player to achieve flight. | Balloons eventually pop. A Parasol can help control your descent. |
| Astronomy | Use binoculars to look at the sun in Mesa while taking burn damage. | Binoculars are an in-game item carried from the Shore. |
| Cool Cucumber | Climb past Mesa without Heat ever exceeding 10%. | Stay out of direct sun where possible; shade, timing, a Parasol, or the Ancient Idol’s protection can help. |
| Daredevil | Shoot across the Mesa canyon in a Scout Cannon. | The reported trigger occurs after landing and walking a little. |
| Megaentomology | Survive an Antlion attack. | Take a hit, then escape the sand pit. A rope or teammate can help; avoid being knocked unconscious. |
| Needlepoint | Get many cactus spines stuck to you. | A guide recommends using five small cactus balls in a shaded area; do not mistake them for large cacti. |
| Nomad | Climb past Mesa. | The guide describes this as reaching the next campfire after surviving Mesa. |
| Resourcefulness | When hunger turns a teammate into food, eat them. | This is a co-op challenge, not a solo attempt. |
| Ultimate | Catch a Flying Disc from 100 meters away. | A teammate can throw from the Shore while you move away; use the game’s distance display to judge the range. |
The official v1.20.a announcement on August 11, 2025, confirmed that Mesa introduced ten badges with cosmetic rewards. Individual unlock instructions are reported in community guides, rather than the announcement itself (PEAK’s Mesa update announcement; Mesa badge guide; community badge reference).
How to prepare for the item and route challenges
24 Karat: find the Tomb and carry the Ancient Idol
Explore Mesa for the Tomb, complete the parkour puzzle inside, then carry the Ancient Idol onward and drop it into lava at The Kiln or The Citadel. The idol is heavy, so plan the route before picking it up and account for the effect on movement. Since the Tomb is not guaranteed on every rotation, this badge may require a run with the right map layout.
Aeronautics: use six balloons
Attach six balloons to the same player until they achieve flight. Because balloons pop after a while, pick a safe place to try it and be ready for the descent; the guide suggests using a Parasol to manage it.
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Bring binoculars from the Shore and use them to look at the sun in Mesa while burn damage is occurring. Both the binoculars and the badge action are part of the game; real-world binoculars are not involved.
Daredevil: cross the canyon in a Scout Cannon
Use a Scout Cannon to shoot across the Mesa canyon. The reported condition may not trigger the instant you land: keep moving after landing, since the guide says the badge registers after walking a little.
How to handle Mesa’s hazards and heat
Cool Cucumber: keep Heat at 10% or lower
For the entire climb past Mesa, keep the Heat meter from ever going above 10%. Use shade and avoid unnecessary exposure to direct sun. The guide also suggests choosing travel timing carefully and using a Parasol or the Ancient Idol’s protection where available. This is a strict maximum, not a target to recover to after overheating.
Rank #2
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- Face trials to uncover the truth of the catastrophe looming over Pywel and restore peace to the continent.
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Megaentomology: survive an Antlion
Let an Antlion hit you, then get out of the sand pit alive. A rope or a teammate can assist with the escape. The guide cautions against being knocked unconscious, so do not treat the challenge as requiring repeated hits.
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Get cactus spines stuck to your character. The guide’s suggested method is to use five small cactus balls in a shaded area, reducing the chance that sun exposure becomes an additional problem. It distinguishes these small cactus balls from large cacti.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which badges need a later checkpoint or a teammate?
Nomad: reach the next campfire
Continue climbing beyond Mesa and reach the next campfire. The guide presents that campfire as the point that fulfills the climb-past-Mesa condition, so surviving the biome alone may not be enough.
Rank #3
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Resourcefulness: complete the co-op hunger challenge
In a co-op run, wait until a teammate’s hunger turns them into food, then eat them. The guide identifies this as requiring another player, so it cannot be completed solo.
Ultimate: catch a disc at 100 meters
Have a teammate throw a Flying Disc from the Shore while you move away, then catch it at a displayed distance of 100 meters. Coordinate the throw and catch using the game’s distance readout rather than estimating the separation by eye.
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Why an unlock may not register
Badge triggers have received fixes, and community references warn that conditions can change. PEAK’s August 11, 2025 update note specifically listed a fix for players receiving the Naturalist Badge after eating packaged food; it is not one of the ten Mesa badges. A detailed Mesa guide also notes fixes involving 24 Karat and Ultimate. If an action seems complete but the badge does not appear, check the current description under the in-game Accolades screen and follow that wording over an older guide. Ongoing patch notes are available in the official PEAK Steam news feed.
Do not rely on the Mesa schedule announced at launch as a current rotation promise. The August 2025 note said Mesa would appear in every run for one week before rotating with Alpine; later updates changed the map pool, and the cited sources do not establish a current Mesa schedule.
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